Shaped around the idea of a resort hotel, this Japanese family home in Fujisawa, Kanagawa is a restful haven for any sea-lover, positioned a mere two kilometres from the ocean. The client, an avid surfer with family in-tow, acquired the land to build a home, which would be functional and robust enough to serve everyday life activity whilst maintaining a relaxed 'holiday' feel.
The commission for Wave House went to Apollo Architects & Associates, headed by Satoshi Kurosaki. The team began with a U-shaped plan built around a ground floor open-air courtyard. A family memorial tree stands regally at its heart; a symbolic growing process to be observed from both ground and first floor levels. The void also separates visually the living and kitchen/dining spaces on the first floor; these are internally connected by a couple of steps. The glass walls reflect the blue sky above, referring to the blue ocean nearby. A wide corner window ensures the open-plan kitchen and dining area gets natural light from both sides.
At the other end, double sliding doors lead you from the living room to a cantilevered roof terrace. Surrounded by a solid concrete wall, the terrace is a private space, but also allows plenty of daylight to flood the interior. Due to the compact size of the home, typical of Japanese dwellings, both outside spaces significantly enhance the interior's connection with the outdoors.
The Japanese Wave House is located by the sea, so an ocean-inspired design - influenced by resort hotels - was a natural choice
Take an interactive tour of Wave House
Warm walnut flooring complements the minimal interiors. The upper level ceiling's sombre brown Douglas fir louvres are created in an east-west orientation, enhancing the roof's wave-like shape. The proximity to the sea meant that external materials were carefully chosen for their durability, including exposed concrete, aluminium window framework and resin-coated wooden decking and fencing.
On the ground floor, a bathroom can be directly accessed through the courtyard, after a day at the beach. The children's room (complete with study area), the master bedroom, additional washrooms and the entrance hallway also share the ground floor. The courtyard remains visible throughout, acting as the project's core and allowing family members to maintain visual connection across different rooms and levels.
The project was designed by Apollo Architects & Associates. The central atrium and open-air courtyard were their starting point and proved key to the layout arrangement
On the upper level, the void helps divide the living room from the kitchen and dining area
Glass openings on both sides of the living room ensure the space has plenty of natural light
Double sliding doors lead the visitor from the living room to a cantilevered roof terrace
On the upper level, the brown Douglas fir louvres on the ceiling were created in an east-west orientation, enhancing the roof's wave-like shape
-
A celestial New York exhibition showcases Roman and Williams’ mastery of lightingLauded design studio Roman and Williams is exhibiting 100 variations of its lighting ‘family tree’ inside a historic Tribeca space
-
‘He immortalised the birth of the supermodel’: inside Dior’s career-spanning retrospective of photographer Peter LindberghOlivier Flaviano, curator and head of Paris’ La Galerie Dior, talks us through a new Peter Lindbergh retrospective, which celebrates the seminal German photographer’s longtime relationship with the French house
-
Take a bite: Laila Gohar and The Luxury Collection’s ‘Cakes & Candles’ are a sweet treat for the sensesLaila Gohar’s six cake-inspired candles draw on The Luxury Collection’s hotels around the world – where guests can enjoy matching edible confections
-
Tadao Ando: the self-taught contemporary architecture master who 'converts feelings into physical form’Tadao Ando is a self-taught architect who rose to become one of contemporary architecture's biggest stars. Here, we explore the Japanese master's origins, journey and finest works
-
The Kumagaya House in Saitama is a modest family home subdivided by a soaring interiorThis Kumagaya House is a domestic puzzle box taking the art of the Japanese house to another level as it intersects a minimal interior with exterior spaces, balconies and walkways
-
Shigeru Ban wins 2024 Praemium Imperiale Architecture AwardThe 2024 Praemium Imperiale Architecture Award goes to Japanese architect Shigeru Ban
-
Pace Tokyo is a flowing Sou Fujimoto experience that ‘guides visitors through the space’Art gallery Pace Tokyo, designed by Sou Fujimoto in a Studio Heatherwick development, opens in the Japanese capital
-
How the Arc’teryx Tokyo Creation Centre is all about craft, openness and cross-pollinationArc’teryx launches its Tokyo Creation Centre, a hub for craftsmanship designed by Torafu Architects, embodying the brand's ethos
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneerBack in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
-
All hail the power of concrete architecture‘Concrete Architecture’ surveys more than a century’s worth of the world’s most influential buildings using the material, from brutalist memorials to sculptural apartment blocks
-
Three Object Apartment embraces raw concrete honesty in the heart of AthensThree Object Apartment by DeMachinas is a raw concrete home in Athens, which confidently celebrates its modernist bones
