IKUYO NAKAMA
ARCHITECT/ASSOCIATES

A quiet exploration of housing in hot and humid climates.

This is the second private residence of an owner born in the UK and raised in Australia, who has made house-building his profession and possesses deep knowledge of residential architecture in the hot and humid regions of Southeast Asia.

The site is located in the central part of Okinawa’s main island. It lies in an area where the functional character of the city coexists with a nostalgic and peaceful rural atmosphere. The site faces a road to the south and a cliff to the north, with views over the Hija River below, surrounded by deep greenery.

We began by carefully reading the solid ground, the changes in level, and the layers of time embedded in the land. By excavating half a level along the road to accommodate the garage and entrance, and quietly placing a single-story residence above, the architecture rests gently within the landscape, without asserting itself.

The viewing terrace is cantilevered so as not to disturb the cliff, while a bright courtyard that guides the breeze opens toward the southeast, screening views from the road. All of these elements are arranged not to control the scenery or climate, but as spatial voids and devices that accept the land and nature as they are, allowing life to unfold together with them.

Deep eaves, breezes from the south, insulation and an air layer within the attic, tile floors that convey the earth’s thermal presence, and a pool that brings coolness and a direct connection to nature. These features combine the wisdom of concrete housing developed in Okinawa after the war with the owner’s experience accumulated in hot and humid regions of Southeast Asia.

The tiles and stones used for floors and walls, as well as the old teak fixtures and furniture, were carefully selected together with the owner in Bali.

Following Okinawa’s history of nurturing culture through trade, wisdom and materials from outside are quietly elevated into a way of living rooted in the local climate. By listening carefully to the memories of Okinawa’s land, we continue to explore one possible form of dwelling in hot and humid regions.