Pit House in Japanese style

Pit House in Japanese style

This is how an eco-friendly, design-forward house should be like: modest even austere from the exterior but “hiding” an inviting, lovely interior with sinuous lines, round spaces and natural light. Completed in october 2011, The Pit House in Tamano, Okayama, Japan is designed by Keisuke Maeda of UID Architects for a young family with a child who wanted a tranquil, earth-connected home.

Pit House by UID Architects, JapanPit House by UID Architects, Japan

Located on a terraced mountain hill, the first level is technically a basement, dug into the residential ground which is higher with one meter above the road level. The upper floor is encased in cedar wood and supported by steel stick legs. The house core is a concrete cylinder that binds the floors and the roof with a spiraled staircase around it.

The ingenious placing of circular holes cut into upper level’s floor ensures natural light and ventilation. The post-modern feel of this structure is sealed with a look at the storage closet that looks like an astronomical observatory room.

UID Architects, located in Fukuyama, Hiroshima and founded in 2003 by Keisuke Maeda is a multi-awarded company specialized in architecture, interior, product as well as urban design.

Photos : Hiroshi Ueda and  Koji Fujii/Nacasa & Partners.Inc