Modern vacation villa in Japan with a view of the Yatsugatake Mountains

These modern vacation villa in Japan was made by the Japanese architecture firm MDS designed for an old couple in 2012. It is located in the foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains, near Hokuto City. The team has tried to keep Japan’s cultural heritage alive and embrace the concept of coexistence with nature. The Shoji sliding doors have been adapted to the modern lifestyle and serve as a privacy screen in all south-facing rooms. A lot of sun flows into the rooms on cold winter days, while the strong summer sun is blocked. The roof and the side walls that protrude over the facade provide a pleasant shade. The windows in the north and the outer walls in the south bring a cool breeze into the house. The result of these design strategies is to develop a passive house that can naturally control the temperatures in the house.

Wraps holiday villa in Japan like a passive house

The Shoji sliding doors and tatami mats are traditional for the Japanese interior style. As lifestyle changes, they are used less and less. But the Shoji paper is an excellent material in many ways. They provide privacy while allowing little light to penetrate and also work well as insulation. So the architects really wanted to find a way to integrate this valuable material into the modern lifestyle.

Vacation Villa in Japan – Modest but Modern

The project takes into account the most important elements of the natural environment, such as the surrounding landscape and climate, and integrates them into the space. It is a passive house design that uses local materials and appreciates natural looks and shapes. The result is not to imitate traditional Japanese or Western architecture, but rather to take the best of the past and incorporate this into the contemporary lifestyle. In a society where you hear words like “ecological” and “back to nature” all the time, this modern holiday villa is a good example.

Wood is legally used in the house