When dealing with the Japanese culture, there are many things that can get lost in translation (just ask Bill Murray), but lucky for us, the Bihoro House in Japan speaks for itself. Promoted by the country's Ministry of Environment as an example of good ecological housing, the triangular house by Hiroshi Horio Architects is the one of the loveliest Japanese designs we've featured on Inhabitat. Apart from metal cladding on the outside of a common area that connects three triangle pieces, the home features a lot of (hopefully certified) timber that gives it a fresh, evergreen ambience even in the snowy winters.
Along with its raised earth floor that connects the home’s three volumes, timber on the interior and exterior gives this home its natural feel. Daylighting floods through a tall window, somtimes giving the untreated wood a golden glow. The two-storey design is supposed to accommodate new additions as the family grows, while a garden outside ensures that everyone who visits will be fed yummy home-grown vegetables. Japan’s Ministry of Environment considers the home, which sits on a verdant plot a model worth emulating, and we have to agree.
images via Fumiaki Sato
Via Designboom
