Guest House [hanare] / Arbol Design

Architects: Arbol Design
Location: Naka, Japan
Area: 61.56 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Yashunori Shimomura

Detail Design: arbol + Go higashitani architectural design office
Builder: ark home
Structual Design: steradian associates
Lighting: Ljus
Furniture: iinuma katuki Furniture Mfg.
Black Leather Iron: aizara
Log: kinetoscope
Site Area: 1800 m2
First Floor: 61.56 m2
Client: Mineko Nakano

Text description provided by the architects. Guesthouse-connecting people with the hart of hospitality and Japanese citron Mr. Kenkichi Nakano, who worked as an amateur photographer in Kito village, Tokushima prefecture, was loved by many people, Unfortunately, he came down with illness, but left a will to his wife, Mineko san, “Do what you want to do”. She followed it, and now runs “Ken’s gallery cafe” where the photos taken by Kenkichi san, are exhibited, music events are held occasionally.

Although some customers visited from a long distance, they came all the way for this cafe, or one of the local specialties, “kito yuzu”(a kind of citrus fruit), there was no place to stay at, and she felt sorry for it. For that reason, this guesthouse was built. The house was placed in a little distance from the entrance as the site is large. In between, an entrance approach which looks like a wooden bridge was set.

This is an image of from ordinary life to extraordinary one, from the real world to unrealistic one. Around the building, gravel was put, and its surroundings are left as they are, so that people can feel rich greenery close. The house itself, its height stays low. in order to match the surroundings. Under the big roof, in this open space with no wall, many people can get together easily.

For about guest rooms, rooms are designed, following Japanese traditional space rules, they can be used for various purposes such as bedroom, dining room, and living room. The rooms can be also used for an event, removing partitions under the big roof. In a part of the house, the local material, kito cedar is selected, about lamp shades, its cloth is “tafuori”, which the local industry creates. For finishing, various natural materials such as persimmon tannin painting, or charcoal mortar were used.

Preserve trees of yuzu, plum, and persimmon which that foliage is in a beautiful state, the existing bundle stones left after rebuilding turns to stone decoration for the boundary between newly built gravel and grass. Mineko san, she entertains her guests with meals, using the local food. By “Do what Mineko san wants to do”, visitors would enjoy Kito village, and the guesthouse more.