Japanese architect Takeshi Ikeuchi’s modern farmhouse project for a young couple in Matsuyama, Japan, makes the most of the nearby environment and architectural traditions of the area. Having spent nine years working at Hiroshi Sambuichi’s studio has clearly had a profound impact on Ikeuchi’s approach to architecture. In true Sambuichi fashion, the site and surrounding architecture were painstakingly researched in order to help determine the overall placement of the building – named the Farm House of Wind and Fire.
Openings in the building’s west and east façades allow the gentle summer breeze to flow freely to cool the interior naturally, while louvres keep out the hot sun. This way, even in winter, the cold northern wind is effectively blocked, while still allowing for natural ventilation.
Modern farmhouse with low-tech approach
Constructed on a former rice field, the house is clad in 30mm-thick, local cedar wood that purposely had its surface burnt in a process known as yakisugi (meaning ‘burnt cedar’). The charred layer acts as a natural protective skin and renders the need for painting or other treatments obsolete, simplifying the construction process, but also the future maintenance of the house. A simple black metal roof fits like an elegant hat over the building and Ikeuchi has done away with the need for obtrusive gutters and drainpipes by placing a line of heavy gravel below the eaves for water drainage.
Inside, expensive, high-tech finishings are kept to a minimum, placing a focus instead on natural materials, such as untreated cedar flooring and shikkui plaster walls and ceilings. The curved plaster ceiling adds a beautiful and organic touch to the simple interior, with a hint at Ikeuchi’s past experience with Naoshima Hall, gained when he was working at Sambuichi’s studio.
Surrounded by rice fields, Ikeuchi’s modern farmhouse shows a new direction for the vernacular architecture of the rural community in Matsuyama.
INFORMATION
colife3.com
-
A contemporary Swiss chalet combines tradition and modernity, all with a breathtaking viewA modern take on the classic chalet in Switzerland, designed by Montalba Architects, mixes local craft with classic midcentury pieces in a refined design inside and out
-
Cartier dials up the glamour at Watches and Wonders 2025Cartier revamps much-loved watch collections, from Privé and Panthère to Tank and Tressage, upping the sparkle at the watch fair in Geneva
-
Patek Philippe brings 15 new timepieces to Watches and Wonders 2025The Swiss manufacturer showcases its intricate complications and elegant designs at the annual trade show with a suite of new models
-
Tour the brutalist Ginza Sony Park, Tokyo's newest urban hubGinza Sony Park opens in all its brutalist glory, the tech giant’s new building that is designed to embrace the public, offering exhibitions and freely accessible space
-
A first look at Expo 2025 Osaka's experimental architectureExpo 2025 Osaka prepares to throw open its doors in April; we preview the world festival, its developments and highlights
-
Ten contemporary homes that are pushing the boundaries of architectureA new book detailing 59 visually intriguing and technologically impressive contemporary houses shines a light on how architecture is evolving
-
And the RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 goes to... SANAA!The RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 winner is announced – Japanese studio SANAA scoops the prestigious architecture industry accolade
-
Architect Sou Fujimoto explains how the ‘idea of the forest’ is central to everythingSou Fujimoto has been masterminding the upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka for the past five years, as the site’s design producer. To mark the 2025 Wallpaper* Design Awards, the Japanese architect talks to us about 2024, the year ahead, and materiality, nature, diversity and technological advances
-
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
