House in Forest

Nagano, Japan

Photo © 上田宏

Single Houses

Architects: NAOI architecture & design office

Location: Nagano, Japan
Year: 2014

A 7-minute walk from Futakotamagawa Station, the building complex stands in an area where old buildings remain in contrast to the large-scale development in front of the station. The building consists of tenant buildings on the ground and first floors, and rental housing on the second through fourth floors. The exterior was designed to express the image of nature, outdoor life, and family life that Futakotamagawa symbolizes in a low-cost, modern design, using cedar slab concrete, red cedar, and black steel. The balcony is a design feature that creates a sense of connection with nature. Due to landscape and greening regulations, the vacant lot is heavily planted, thereby blending in with the streetscape and landscape. There are many old buildings in the neighborhood, and some of them will be rebuilt in the future. We hope that this building will serve as a benchmark and improve the entire surrounding townscape.