Japan’s House C is Covered with a Swaying Wildflower Prairie

The owners of House C wanted a house where they could be close to nature, garden and enjoy views of both the mountains and the sea. To create their dream home, they enlisted the help of <a href="http://www.nakam.info/" target="_blank">Hiroshi Nakamura &amp; NAP</a> and the architects built them a spectacular space from soil dug up at the site, covered in a swaying wildflower prairie. The thick roof provides insulation and protection for the home, and by sourcing materials locally for construction, they were able to save on both costs and emissions!

House C is located in Chiba, Japan in between the mountains and the ocean, where the family likes to come on weekends to get out Tokyo to enjoy nature.

They are avid gardeners and wanted plants to be part of their retreat as well as a close connection with the outdoors.

They requested a reinforced concrete home with a large open floor plan and sliding windows and doors that open up to the outdoors.

The large green roof provides extra space to play, nap and dream.

The concrete walls are then covered in a reinforcing mixture made from soil found on site mixed with diatomaceous earth (also known as diatomite), cement and resin.

This render is the color of the soil and also includes seashells, rocks and bit of material found while digging.

One can see straight through from the yard through to the ocean.

A large open wooden deck sits next to the house facing the ocean.

Views are to the front or back and not out the sides to provide privacy from the family's neighbors.

The roof is assembled with a layer of insulation, which is then covered with soil from the site and planted with native seeds to prevent erosion.

From the deck, the floor to ceiling glass doors slide into the walls to open the house up to the outdoors.

The side of the house enjoys a nice shady garden.

A large yard and garden for the owners to enjoy.