Junichiro Kawazoe's "River Sea" Villa: A Fusion of Vernacular and Modern

Timeless Minimalist Design Inspired by the Relationship Between Interior and Exterior Spaces

The "River Sea" villa is situated near the mouth of a river, with buildings on its east and west. To maximize the site's potential, Kawazoe designed the building's axis to run north and south towards the river. The villa is divided into three main sections: the entrance building, guest building, and main building. This one-story structure minimizes impact on the surroundings while offering a unique spatial experience.

Creating the "River Sea" villa required extensive research on the site, clients, and villa and resort hotels. The concept of a fusion of vernacular and modern architecture emerged from this research, leading to a unique design that can only be found in this location. The exterior, interior, space, and materials were all carefully considered to reflect this concept.

The villa, with a site area of 1356.76 m2 and a building area of 427.07 m2, stands at a maximum height of 3.77m. The design team, led by Kawazoe and including Kazue Kawazoe and Takuya Uemura, worked on various aspects of the project, including structural design, equipment design, lighting design, tile design, fabric design, furniture design, and equipment design.

The design process was not without its challenges. Building the concept was a first-stage challenge, as was designing an impressive architecture with few client requests. The team also faced challenges when selecting materials, as the concept required using items from or near the site. This led to numerous visits to local workshops for selections.

The "River Sea" villa offers a unique space experience and relaxation. The path running through the three buildings and two courtyards connects the spaces and blurs the boundary between the inside and outside. The wall is covered with border tiles made from local Awaji roof tiles, a testament to the fusion of architectural vernacular and modern design. This design, which was realized between September 2019 and January 2021, is a testament to Kawazoe's commitment to timeless and minimalist design.