Yatsugatake Villa

Yamanashi, Japan

Photo © Toshiyuki Yano

Photo © MDS Co.Ltd Architectural Studio

Photo © Toshiyuki Yano

Single Houses

Architects: Kiyotoshi Mori + Natsuko Kawamura / MDS

Location: Yamanashi, Japan
Year: 2012

Situated in the foothills of Mt. Yatsugatake, this vacation home gently incorporates the natural environment around it. The fan-shaped design opening to the south means plenty of sun streams in during the cold winters: no matter the time of day there’s always a place to bask in the sun. In contrast, strong summer sunshine is blocked by a roof and side　walls that protrude beyond the façade, providing shade. Windows in the north and south exterior walls bring cool breezes into the house. The result of these design strategies is a structure that is simple yet filled with a rich diversity of scenes.