Nanjyo, Okinawa, Japan
KI-HOUSE by Katsufumi Kubota is placed in a location in Japan that holds significant religious importance. Between Kudaka Island, which is called the island of the gods, and Sefa Utaki, the most sacred place in the Ryukyu Kingdom.
KI-HOUSE has been awarded a 2023 Future House Award by Global Design News and The Chicago Athenaeum Museum for Architecture and Design.
The building is composed of several slabs that are placed on the site between the two to follow the natural flow of the environment without interfering with the sanctity of the location.
The team of Kubota Architect Atelier wanted to design a building that creates a unique experience for its residents.
The most prominent element of KI-HOUSE is a route that begins by passing through the low eaves under the suspended slabs and then descends a slope that leads to a tunnel-like space.
At the end of this passage, the view emanates the feeling of a world where the mind stands face-to-face with nature.
Architects: Kubota Architect Atelier
Lead Architect: Katsufumi Kubota
Design Team: Kazuya Toizaki, Kazusa Kubota, and Naoya Yuda
Associate Architects: Jo Architecture & Design Office
Contractor: Maruyoshi Construction
Client: Tsukasa Kinjo
Photographers: Katsumasa Tanaka
