10'000mm Villa for NOT A HOTEL

The villa on Yakushima is conceived as a continuation of the island’s dramatic landscape, shaped by granite, dense subtropical vegetation, and constant rainfall. Set on a gently sloping site, the house occupies the higher part of the plot, ensuring privacy from the street while opening toward expansive ocean views to the south and forested mountains to the north.

Architecture and topography form a single system. The main living spaces orient toward the ocean, where framed openings dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior. Private rooms and tatami spaces face north, engaging the shaded forest and creating a more introspective atmosphere. A sequence of walls guides the approach, gradually revealing the house and culminating in a defined entrance marked by a massive wooden door and a small interior garden lit from above.

Materiality reflects the island’s character. Rammed concrete with granite aggregate provides mass and permanence, while wood introduces warmth and tactility. Skylights bring diffuse light into deeper zones, allowing views to remain the visual focus.

Water plays a central role. Rain is collected by the roof, the spa and outdoor pool extend the spatial experience, and the sound of water reinforces the sense of inhabiting a structure inseparable from its natural context.