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A Traditional and Serene Japanese Garden Space in Busy Fujieda

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An almost invisible house that seems to disappear into the sky represents an increasingly typical new Japanese design vernacular, building on ancient traditions.

This one is from mA-style Architects.

A courtyard entirely surrounds the house, distilling nature into a controlled artifice that plays out light and shadow on the surrounding walls.

The surrounding wall is suspended about two feet above ground.

Rough rocks transit under the surrounding suspended wall, blur the boundary from both sides.

Very controlled naturescapes are very engrained in Japanese architecture.

A long tradition of minimalist interiors have a peculiarly Japanese quality of calm.

Sliding panel doors to access nature are a traditional intervention moderating the transition between the indoors and outdoors.

But these new walled off courtyard houses update these Japanese traditions to find a way to bring composure in a frantic and congested modern world.

By surrounding the house with daylight inside its walled enclosure, composure is reached.

With daylight on both sides, the kitchen and living space feels abundant and livable.

Is the bathroom outdoors?

The lighting suggests so, as does the encounter with real, uncompromising nature in these large rocks extending further out than than the wall.

Large rocks continuing beneath the hanging wall create the sense that you are outdoors.

As does a glass roof above the sink – giving you the sense of leaving the main house roof.

Indeed, a closeup of the intriguing bathroom section shows that the sink is up against the perimeter wall.

Viewed from the minimal kitchen, it feels outside.

A table against the perimeter (right) off the tatami mat sleeping room – which gets rolled up during the day – is also a daytime study off the living room.

Although the design solution looks super modern, it actually builds on ancient Japanese traditions.

This new form of Japanese architecture increasingly takes account of the extremes of congested living, and finds resolution by retreating behind a blank wall.

But by suspending the wall, they emlarge the apparent space within, so instead of feeling claustrophobic, the walled space is quite pleasant.