Design

Located in Japan, the Shell House is a sculptural large shell shaped structure that built in the woods of Karuizawa, located in Kitasaku, Nagano. The Shell House was designed by Japanese Architect Kotaro Ide, ARTechnic Architects , the concrete home building comprises two tubes with oval sections is meant to function as a vacation home , which is able to withstand the humid summers and cold winters of the region. To accomplish this, Kotaro Ide opted not to use the typical wood structure of two-storey house design in the area because of their susceptibility to decay easily. Instead, used reinforced concrete to construct two elliptical shell forms which are supposed to represent a conch. Ulin wood is used to create terraces around the Japan house with a courtyard into the centre of the main living areas. The ‘Shell House’ takes on a j-shape which is raised above the ground by 1400 mm resulting in the ‘floating’ masses. The villa’s simple aesthetic lends itself well to the...

Located in Japan, the Shell House is a sculptural large shell shaped structure that built in the woods of Karuizawa, located in Kitasaku, Nagano. The Shell House was designed by Japanese Architect Kotaro Ide, ARTechnic Architects , the concrete home building comprises two tubes with oval sections is meant to function as a vacation home , which is able to withstand the humid summers and cold winters of the region. To accomplish this, Kotaro Ide opted not to use the typical wood structure of two-storey house design in the area because of their susceptibility to decay easily. Instead, used reinforced concrete to construct two elliptical shell forms which are supposed to represent a conch. Ulin wood is used to create terraces around the Japan house with a courtyard into the centre of the main living areas. The ‘Shell House’ takes on a j-shape which is raised above the ground by 1400 mm resulting in the ‘floating’ masses. The villa’s simple aesthetic lends itself well to the...