Hat on the Ridge
Residence and Gallery for MDS Co., Ltd.
Earthen floor connects with the bedrock, and square roof opens to the landscape - The space was vertically diversified by adding the floor on the ground and levitating the roof over the earth. The roof lowers down towards the roof edge and heightens up in the center. Each of the four edges of the roof opens to a different view: the mountain, the valley, the village, and the sky. Responding to these rich surroundings, each edge is flipped up to make four different spaces with different views. In the corners, the upper level floor is cut through to the ground to connect the two levels.
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Download Press Kit № 142103 Residence and Gallery for MDS Co., Ltd. by Kiyotoshi Mori to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.
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Hat on the Ridge by Kiyotoshi Mori
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Residence and Gallery by Kiyotoshi Mori
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Kiyotoshi Mori Hat on the Ridge
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Kiyotoshi Mori Residence and Gallery
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MDS Co Ltd Brand Logo
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Hat on the Ridge Residence and Gallery Press Releases
For Hat on the Ridge, find press releases in a variety of languages: English.
Hat on the Ridge Residence and Gallery Media Articles
For immediate use: Hat on the Ridge articles, available in languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Dutch, Turkish, Arabic (Standard), Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Russian, Hindi, English, Italian and Chinese (Mandarin), to enrich your content.
Unique Properties
Earthen floor connects with the bedrock, and square roof opens to the landscape - The space was vertically diversified by adding the floor on the ground and levitating the roof over the earth. The roof lowers down towards the roof edge and heightens up in the center. Each of the four edges of the roof opens to a different view: the mountain, the valley, the village, and the sky. Responding to these rich surroundings, each edge is flipped up to make four different spaces with different views.
Tags
Villa, Gallery, Pit dwelling, Dorma, Cats, Vista, Mountain, Village, Sky, valley
Production Technology
Earthen floor connects with the bedrock, and square roof opens to the landscape. Each of the four edges of the roof opens to a different view: the mountain, the valley, the village, and the sky. Responding to these rich surroundings, each edge is flipped up to make four different spaces with different views.
Design Challenge
The site is covered in a soft sediment over the surface of bedrock. The site was above the road level by just the thickness of the soil, which we chose to remove by the shape of the building footprint to put the foundation directly on the bedrock. The approach from the road is dug into this soil as well, gently sloping up towards the house. By placing a structurally stable pyramid roof over the simple square-shaped plan of the house, we created a pillarless space under the single roof.
Project Duration
The construction started in in September 2018 and finished in May 2019 in Kamakura, Japan.
Operation Flow
Cut through the floor in the corners - In the corners where the roof edges were left unflipped, the upper level floor is cut through to the ground to connect the two levels. Flip up the roof edges - Each of the four edges of the roof opens to a different view: the mountain, the valley, the village, and the sky. Responding to these rich surroundings, each edge is flipped up to make four different spaces with different views.
Research
From a gallery-like space to a house with a gallery. When the construction was first completed, the ground floor entrance hall and upper floor bookshelves were gallery-like spaces for displaying antiques and other items that were the owner's hobby. By displaying them within the scale of the living space, the works of art feel more familiar, and visitors can easily imagine the scene in which they will be placed in their residences.
Inspiration
The origin of the idea is a pit dwelling that blends in with the mountain range. Removing soft sediments over the surface by the shape of the building footprint to put the foundation directly on the bedrock, a semi-subterranean-like space buried in the earth is created. The space was then vertically diversified by adding another floor above the ground and levitating the roof over the earth.
Image Credits
Photographer TOREAL Koji Fujii
Project Overview
Hat on the Ridge Residence and Gallery has been a Bronze winner in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design award category in the year 2022 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Bronze Recognition
Kiyotoshi Mori was recognized with the coveted Bronze A' Design Award in 2023, a testament to excellence of their work Hat on the Ridge Residence and Gallery.
Kiyotoshi Mori Press Releases
Explore the world of Kiyotoshi Mori through our press releases, designed for media members to use freely and enrich your content. 2 press releases are now available for immediate access by journalists.
Hat on the Ridge: A Unique Villa and Gallery by Kiyotoshi Mori
Kiyotoshi Mori's innovative Hat on the Ridge villa and gallery, completed in May 2019, offers a new perspective on residential architecture in Kamakura, Japan, blending into the mountain range while providing breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.
Kiyotoshi Mori Newsroom
Discover outstanding design and award-winning initiatives in the Kiyotoshi Mori Newsroom.
