House in Rokko by Tato architects

This hillside house by Japanese studio Tato Architects comprises a metal barn on top of a glass box (+ slideshow).

Located between a mountainous district and the harbour-side town of Kobe in southern Japan, the two-storey House in Rokko contains a kitchen and dining room inside its transparent ground-level storey.

A balcony surrounds the gabled first floor, creating an overhang that shades the glazed facade below.

Upstairs, the bathroom is separated by a transparent glass partition.

During construction, the foundations had to be dug by hand as no machines were able to climb the steep terrain to reach the site, while the streel structure had to be pieced together from sections small enough to be carried up one by one.

We’ve featured a few houses in Japan with glazed bathrooms, including one with a garden behind its walls and one with a whole room dedicated to plants.

See more Japanese houses on Dezeen »

Here’s a project description from Tato Architects:

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House in Rokko

Looking for the way an architecture does not fix the affect to the environment too much I have been somewhat anxious about what an architecture in a place commanding a fine view should be. It is the state of affairs freezing affect towards the environment. What is the way, while enjoying the view, not to be dominant to the environment?

At an end of the residential area developed in the past halfway up Mt. Rokko the site was broad but too steep to bring in heavy machines for driving piles. A plane of 3.5 m by 13.5 m was left when a sufficient distance was secured, for manual digging for foundation, from the old breast wall and heaped soil.

The site was not necessitating much anxiety about people’s eyes. As people’s eyes from below would not reach the first floor, the first floor was walled with glass all around so that the fine view could be commanded to full extent, which was equipped with kitchen and visitor’s toilet.

The first floor, while functioning as what is called LDK, was assumed to be used for such varieties of activities out of daily life as treating guests, creating music with friends, or taking care of his bicycles.

A bedroom, storing facilities, facilities using water were arranged on the second floor, which was leveled high with a roof of conventional appearance to join in the existing rows of old houses. The high- leveled second floor was walled around with wide openings distributed equally for the ease of natural ventilation.

Thermal storage system using midnight electricity was laid into slab concrete and on the second floor far-infrared radiation film floor heating system was supplemented. And in summer it is expected that balcony and eaves will block the sunlight and breeze from Mt. Rokko will carry indoor heat through.

Steel-frame construction was adopted complying with the client’s wishes. As physical labor was obliged, small 100 mm by 100 mm H-section steel was selected and each construction material was limited to weigh about 100 kg for carrying up to the site.

Steel plate of 4.5 mm thick was laid for the cantilever balcony all around to make up for the loss of level structural plane caused by a large cutout of the second floor for stairway.

Observing the environment carefully without responding downright resulted in this house of hollow bare mortar floor ceilinged high and walled around with glass.

I feel I have found a way to cope, on an equal footing, with the environment peculiar to this scenic site where the environment, the architecture and the resident’s various things of various styles and ages are mingling with each other.

Project name: House in Rokko
Location of site: Kobe Japan

Site area: 295.31m2
Building area: 56.00m2

Total floor area: 94.50m2
Type of Construction: Steel
Program: house & atelier

Project by: Tato architects
Principal designer: Yo shimada

Fasano boa vista sao paulo by Isay Weinfeld

This isn’t the first time Brazil’s most sought after architect collaborated with one of Brazil’s most affluent hoteliers – and we’re guessing it won’t be the last! Architect Isay Weinfeld, and restauranteur/hotelier Rogerio Fasano (who recently collaborated on the making of Fasano Las Piedras) have just put the final touches on the latest addition to the Fasano hotel collection – Boa Vista.

The hotel is a stunning complement to the 100 plus acres of native forests in São Paulo, which include 15 lakes, an Arnold Palmer golf course, groves, and carefully manicured gardens. This Fasano property is a perfect marriage of Weinfeld’s signature style, and the excellence and sophistication of the Fasano brand.

Here, a fantastic old-world authenticity exists with the incorporation of the hotel natural surroundings, which is the overall aesthetic of the establishment. The two-level building is shaped like a half moon, where the public areas such as the lobby, restaurant, and bar, and centrally located, while the suites sprawl out on the outer curves of the building.

The space is mainly outfitted with wood, stone, and glass, with the addition of some supremely cool accent pieces; many chosen from local antique shops or hand-crafted by local artisans. A variation of unique mid-century furniture pieces flood the lobby with massive wood ceiling beams that cross overhead and lead to large windows where guests can look out over the lake.

Weinfeld’s sensual design of the suites have a subtle calming effect with their creamy walls, warm wood flooring, and wicker wrapped lighting fixtures. Each suite has a private wood deck that faces the farms an endless rural landscape. Our favorite part of the hotel has to be it’s on site equestrian center with 29 pickets and 230 stalls, giving guests the opportunity to venture into nature on horseback!

Inverted Warehouse Townhouse - New York

This is not exactly a cozy home but its brutalist strength fits an old Manhattan warehouse well.

The Inverted Warehouse Townhouse has received numerous U.S. awards. It is the creation of Dean-Wolf Architects of New York, where architect Charles Wolf and designer Eunjeong Seong were in charge of the project.

We like the visible stairs that create a sense of lift and movement upward. We like the large surfaces of brick, steel and glass. We like the visibility between floors and from space to space that solves the potential problem of dark boxy rooms inside a windowless warehouse.

It is an impressive conversion of a loft (of 10,500 square feet) within a vast warehouse that covers the entire lot, leaving no room for outside space, garden or patio.

The main achievements of Dean-Wolf's work are cutting the roof open to let the natural light in and then using glass panels to let it shine into the dark centre of the expansive structure.

By doing this, they also created "outdoor" space inside, making the residence feel like it has a courtyard. They also created a large garden deck off the main living room.

To open up the key areas of the residence to this natural light, the main entry, via an elevator, is now on the fifth floor where public spaces and the bedrooms, playrooms and study are located. In a more typical townhouse, this "parlor" floor would be accessed through the front steps of the building. - Tuija Seipell http://www.thecoolhunter.net/