Tour Japan's Villa MKZ by Takeshi Hirobe Architects

japanese house with angular flying roofline, Villa MKZ by Takeshi Hirobe Architects — (Image credit: Koichi Torimura)

Villa MKZ by the Japanese architecture studio of Takeshi Hirobe takes its cues from its site; quite literally so, as the unusually shaped building was formed by following the buildable outline of its plot, resulting in an expressive, angular, striking roof that defines its identity. This parcel of land, while enviably perched on a hillside offering long views of Japan's Minamiboso City and the sea in the distance, was tricky to design for, as it is steeply sloped, featuring a rocky outcrop that made it hard to build. Yet a clever system of shapes and an open mind allowed Hirobe to craft his project – a weekend home for a private client.

japanese house with angular roof seen from above

Villa MKZ by Takeshi Hirobe Architects

Kanagawa-based Hirobe and his team weaved the footprint of the main home around the site's restrictions – while a guest suite is located on the opposite end of the site. 'At our first client presentation, we proposed a plan comprised of interconnected triangles, but this design was not rigidly fixed; rather, our approach allowed for the forms to be adjusted by “pinching” the roof peaks as we developed a more detailed plan,' the architect explained. 'We gradually adjusted the peaks in response to client requests regarding the interior, so that each roof segment contained a space appropriately scaled for its use.'

japanese house in concrete and timber roof

As a result of its prominent geometries, inside, the home features a sequence of characterful spaces carved out of concrete and timber. Large openings connect the living spaces to the outdoors, while natural and textured materials ensure the environment remains homely and calming, despite of its unconventional room shapes. This approach is underlined by the prevailing sense of minimalist architecture in the decor.

entrance door of japanese house in timber and concrete

‘By manipulating the complexity of interlinked free-form triangles, we freely varied parameters such as the relationship with the landscape, the size of the rooms, and the volume of the spaces. The result is a natural-feeling interior scale and a sense of affinity between the buildings and the site,' the architect concluded.

japanese house interior looking towards views

interior of japanese house in timber and concrete

hirobe.net

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).