Episode
A house for a couple and their three daughters. The family had been living in a high-rise condominium in a convenient location near the station. Every summer, they would travel to Okinawa, where the wife’s family resides, and enjoy their vacation by swimming in the pool. When building their new home, the family wanted to extend this annual summer tradition and create a house where they could enjoy a summer vacation similar to a resort in Okinawa. This was a strong request from the family, particularly the couple, who wanted the home to be a place where memories with their children would accumulate throughout the seasons and holidays. The first priority was to create a home that would enrich their time spent with the children, making it a joyful and fulfilling place to live.

Planning
The primary consideration was to design a space that would embody the essence of a summer retreat, with a pool and a comfortable outdoor living area, like a villa on a southern island under the radiant summer sun. The configuration of the building, the 2.25m x 7m pool, and the outdoor living space underwent multiple simulations. Although the site was favorable for good sunlight exposure, we came to the conclusion that the living room should be positioned to receive sunlight for approximately half the day.
A lower volume was placed on the southern side of the site, with the largest openings facing a northeast-facing garden. Two layers of eaves were added to provide shade to the living room and outdoor space in the afternoon during the summer, while allowing the low winter sun to penetrate deeply into the living room. Additionally, a high-side window located at the highest point of the living room helps facilitate natural airflow through the house, offering a pleasant breeze. In the summer afternoons, the pool is bathed in sunlight, while the shadow of the building deepens over the outdoor living area, making it possible to relax comfortably on a daybed.
While the design does have the downside of relying more on heating in the winter, due to limited sunlight in the living room, the roof shape and size of the house make solar power generation efficient. The living room is sufficiently warm with the use of underfloor heating powered by renewable energy. Considering the recent trends of extreme heat and long summers caused by climate change, the combination of a sunless living room and pool is an effective strategy for enjoying summer comfortably.