The house is the physical manifestation of two artists’ dream of moving from London to a simpler life in the Japanese countryside where they can enjoy the sea and the mountains but remain in striking distance of the town of Onomichi.

The building responds to the local setting and roof forms and has become, already, a popular local landmark.

The house is split into two main volumes containing an art studio and the living accommodation split by the entrance hall. The house points to a simpler future, small scale living accommodation created using minimal sustainable resources.

Working in collaboration with TakeArchitects, we worked to create a gem delivered across continents and the first of what we hope will be many projects in Japan.