Hiroi Ariyama & Megumi Matsubara of the architectural firm ASSISTANT are pleased to announce the completion of a house IT IS A GARDEN, in the forest of Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan.

© ASSISTANT

Architects: ASSISTANT

Location: Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Architect In Charge: Hiroi Ariyama & Megumi Matsubara

Area: 475.0 m2

Project Year: 2016

Photographs: ASSISTANT , Daici Ano

Structural Engineer?: Konishi Structural Engineers

Construction Company: Niitsu Gumi

© Daici Ano

Hiroi Ariyama & Megumi Matsubara of the architectural firm ASSISTANT are pleased to announce the completion of a house IT IS A GARDEN, in the forest of Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan.
© Daici Ano

IT IS A GARDEN stands in the forest of Karuizawa, surrounding and surrounded by the trees and plants of the forest. The house was designed as a guest house containing a private art gallery for the owner?s collection.

© Daici Ano

Its shape being flat and square, the one-story house has a floor plan entirely defined by five courtyards alone. All facades of the building are made of concrete walls and black glass, clearly dividing its interior space from the external environment. The house opens its reinforced concrete roof to the sky in order to create five courtyards. The exterior roofs tilt inwards only vertically inviting light as well as shadows and reflections of the surroundi...