Type:House/Location:Kamakura,Kanagawa,Japan/Design:2012-13/Construction:2013/Consultant:Jun Sato structural engineers/Structure:Timber/Contractor:</span>Kawaguchi-kenchiku/Site area:422m2/Built area:34m2/Total floor area:52m2
アルマジロは鎌倉の緑に囲まれたハナレ。敷地は狭い路地の突き当たりに位置する旗竿地。クライアントはカップルとその父親。敷地内に建つ築80年の建物が、世界中からの楽器や古家具などの調度品で手狭になってきたことで、ゆったりと食事をしたり、音楽を奏でたり、昼寝をしたりできる空間が望まれた。そこで風が抜けて、光が降りそそぐ庭の一部に今回の建物を計画した。ぐるりと囲まれた緑を楽しめる開放的な１階と、空からの光と音だけが聞こえる あなぐら のような２階。動物は光や風気温や湿度、土地の起伏といった環境をよみ快適な寝床を選ぶ。そこにじっとしていても心地よく、ずっと居眠りできるような空間をめざした。
＊アルマジロとはスペイン語で「武装した小さなもの」という意味で体中が鎧のような鱗甲板で覆われている。 熱帯雨林や草原、半砂漠のような気候が穏やかで暖かい場所に生息し、毎日 あなぐら で約18時間とたっぷりの睡眠をとる。
Armadillo is located in Kamakura, Japan. The site faces one side to the sea and the other three to the mountains. The town’s topography provided ideal protection from the enemies in the past. This feature led Kamakura to become the political centre of Japan in the 12th century. This site is located in a valley with a narrow path to the main road. The clients, a couple and her father, bought the site with an old house standing on it four years ago. The clients collect articles of furniture and musical instruments from all over the world. As the existing house was getting a bit too cluttered with their collection, they started considering an annex to be added to the main house, and they wanted to do so with a practical budget. It was going to be a place for playing music, relaxing, sleeping well and hosting parties in the garden just like a weekend little house. For that we offered a design to be placed on a part of the garden which is enriched fully by the sunlight. We wanted to create an open space to enjoy the surrounding greenery for the ground level and a closed space like an animal lair where people can sense only the light pouring from the sky and sound for the first floor. Animals read the entire environment such as sunlight, wind, and smell. They choose a place to rest after processing these pieces of information. We found the behavior of the particular animal called Armadillo fits well with the image we had about for the design concept and the environment of the site.
＊The word armadillo means “little armoured one” in Spanish. They sleep in their lair for 18 hours a day.