Swiss architect Armando Ruinelli has recently completed ‘redevelopment of a barn’, the transformation of an unused farm into a single family residence in soglio, switzerland. The three storeys are set into the steep slope, placing an entrance at ground level with access to outdoor areas overlooking the alps from each floor. The first floor contains an open plan kitchen, living area and study which are arranged around a concrete stair and fireplace unit.

Smooth concrete inserts within the stone and wood facade frame the openings of the entry floor. Large voids within the facade are screened with vertical oak axes which may be manually operated to block direct daylight or manipulate breezes through the interior. The wood was locally sourced and processed together to ensure the same color and eventual patina since the intention was
to define the architecture with the material palette. Research was conducted with experimental models at 1:1 scale, demonstrating careful attention to the craftsmanship of details to merge old and new materials. All images courtesy of Armando Ruinelli

In the never-ending urban landscape are these small delicate temptations. Sort of a projection of the city’s universe and a microcosm of architectural ideas – the small private houses in tokyo.

Lately i have especially noticed two small projects – the house na by sou fujimoto and ”garden and house” by Ryue Nishizawa. These two projects erase the usual borders in the transition between private life and city life – the transition between inside and outside. The work is done with the specific intention of breaking the boundaries of a room, and by doing so, creating an open spacious flow. The house almost becomes a sensual structure in which the inhabitants can always interact with each other and ensure personal space for the individual – more or less shielded – while staying in constant contact with the social community in the house. Almost like climbing a tree.

The ”garden and house” project is a four story building squeezed in between two tall buildings on a particularly small ground of 8×4 meters. Generally speaking the house consists of four horizontal decks supported by thin co- lumns. Each floor has been decorated differently and is combined with a small garden area. And it is these small gardens on each floor that makes the house project a illusion of facade-less front, and instead clothes the house in its green costume that shields the inside of the house from wandering eyes of people passing by.

The ”garden and house” project works, in particular, with a refined border between privacy and the city – between outside and inside. This easement of borders ensures that the city and the plants becomes an active part of the house and its interior. The separation between the internal rooms and the outer facilities on each floor consists of full-sized windows and curtains, that makes it possible to shield of the different areas – hence a design without walls.

You might perceive the ”house and garden” project as a series of lucid moments, which are created in a symbiosis between the inhabitant’s choice on the level of shielding, the density of the plants and the city lights.

En narrow spiral staircase connects the four floors and makes it possible to freely move from floor to floor. From the outside the ” house na” looks like a collection of small transparent boxes in different sizes – that put together creates a playful composition in an ordinary residential area in tokyo – and that is actually exactly what it is. From an architectural perspective it might be the inside ”landscape” of the house that challenges – the space as well as the social aspect. With impetus on the house exterior and the ambition to avoid closed internal walls, a dynamic interior with great diversity is created. A variation of tall and short rooms provides great trans- parency, while the textiles makes it possible to shield of the individual areas in order to achieve a high level of privacy and separation. The house interior can as such be perceived as one big connected sphere where each room still is its own.

The semi programmed levels in the house are connected with small staircases and ladders, that makes it possible for the inhabitants to freely move around the different areas – inside and outside alike. The house is a changeable universe where one is gladly compelled to move around, invent new ways to utilise the space and find you own spot – much like a oversized jungle gym. ”Garden and house” and ” house na” are using very simple tools to challenge the way we perceive our private residence and its limitations. They evoke lucid emotions and sensations that stage a feeling of variability in the room, that empower the physical and sensual feel of the building.

Throughout time, japanese architecture has inspired architects around the world – not least the nordic once. I wish that the nordic architecture would once again allow itself to be inspired by the japanese currents. An interest for the subtle and sensual in architecture that might guide us in new direction in the innovation of our nordic homes.