Not a Hotel Ehime, Shikoku accommodation building, Japan architecture, South Japanese property images

Not a Hotel in Shikoku, Japan

23 April 2023

Design: Estudio Mazara

Location: Matsuyama, Ehime, Shikoku, southeast Japan

Photos: Studio D121

Not a Hotel in Ehime, Shikoku, Japan

After reading the brief and analyzing the site, our first instinct was to highlight what we considered to be the most poetic qualities of the site. The ponds surrounded by this lush landscape and, of course, two magnificent stones of great size incrusted on the terrain.

The latter served as a perfect metaphor for the project. This mass connected to the sloped terrain, completely integrated into its environment. Towards the slope, we would place the areas destined to introspection and rest. Leaving the social areas to face the expansive views towards the coast. In the center of the project, we have a courtyard that organizes the circulation of the house and provides almost a microcosm of what we experience on the outside, connecting the user with the natural properties of the site.

Exterior views are carefully framed by monolithic walls of rough cement that remind us of the material quality of the stones on the site. The walls serve as structural elements but also, with their thickness, improve the thermal qualities of the house. Providing cooler temperatures in the hotter months and warmer temperatures in the colder months.

Entrance

The sequence of spaces was of tremendous importance for us. As we go up the hill, we slowly encounter the house blended with the natural landscape. We enter a courtyard that surrounds us and leads us to the stairs melded on the stones, reinforcing our idea of connecting the built with the natural.

Living room and kitchen

For the social areas, we decided to lower the spaces with the same depth as the pool. Lowering the eye level and allowing a closer perspective to the soil and plants of the courtyard and the water of the pool. Hopefully, establishing a more profound connection with these elements.

Spa and bedrooms

We conceived this area of the house as a place for meditation and contemplation. Focusing the views to the ponds and using the slope of the terrain as a natural barrier to create a sense of enclosed space with nature. A place for deep introspection.

Architects: Estudio Mazara – https://www.instagram.com