This coastal sanctuary perched along the rugged shores of southwestern Kanagawa reveals distinctly different personalities as natural light gives way to architectural illumination, creating a residence that exists in constant dialogue with the Pacific Ocean and its ever-changing moods.
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Global Future Design Awards 2025
Horizon Frame — A Silent Retreat Floating Above the Sea
Villa Design (Built)
Firm
T&C JAPAN Co., Ltd.
Architect/Designer
Tatsuo Akiba
Design Team
Tatsuo Akiba – Lead Interior Designer, Megumi Chabata – Project Designer, Satoshi Kudochi – Construction Manager, Shinji Kudochi – Site Supervisor
Location
Kanagawa, Japan
Country
Japan
Photographer/Copyright
©Kazunari Hiroi/H2studio
Social Media Handles:
Website
https://tandc.tokyo
Daytime Serenity
During daylight hours, the residence serves as a transparent vessel framing the Pacific’s endless expanse through floor-to-ceiling glass walls that seamlessly integrate with the structure. The main living area opens entirely to panoramic vistas, where Mount Fuji’s sacred silhouette creates a contemplative focal point against the azure sky. This iconic mountain, long revered as a symbol of natural beauty and spiritual significance in Japanese culture, appears between sea and sky as a sacred axis, offering calm centrality to daily life.
The infinity pool mirrors the heavens above, its surface creating perfect reflections of clouds and changing light. Natural materials—timber and stone—harmonize with the coastal environment in warm, muted tones, while the floating BBQ pavilion sits quietly within the pool, serving as a breezy gathering space where guests can feel ocean breezes while immersed in water.
Strategic level changes between dining and living areas create a natural amphitheater effect, ensuring unobstructed views of both ocean and mountain from every seating position. Whether guests occupy the marble dining island, relax on living room sofas, or gather around coffee tables, Mount Fuji remains perfectly framed within their sightlines.
Nocturnal Transformation
As twilight approaches, the residence undergoes a profound metamorphosis, transforming into a luminous beacon floating above the sea. The transparency that defines daytime gradually gives way to a warm glow emanating from within, as interior lighting creates an inviting sanctuary against the darkening sky.
Underwater LEDs illuminate the infinity pool with an ethereal glow, creating a luminous surface that reflects both the starlit sky and the building’s warm interior lighting. The pool becomes a reflective surface where light and shadow play in constant motion, creating ever-shifting patterns across its surface. The floating BBQ pavilion transforms into an illuminated focal point within this aquatic setting, its warm light creating gentle ripples of illumination that spread across the water in concentric circles.
The building itself becomes a sculptural work of light, with LED strips outlining architectural volumes and creating striking silhouettes against the coastal landscape. Stone walls are washed with warm lighting, emphasizing their natural textures and geological character, while the upper level’s timber cladding glows softly in the evening air.
Temporal Theater
This nocturnal metamorphosis reveals the home’s fundamental dual nature: by day, it functions as a serene viewing gallery where architecture frames natural splendor; by night, it transforms into a sculptural work of light celebrating the intersection of human creativity and coastal environment. The residence becomes a temporal theater where the passage of time itself becomes the primary performance, with changing light conditions creating new spatial experiences throughout each day. As darkness deepens, the home’s warm glow becomes a beacon visible from the surrounding coastline, marking this hillside sanctuary as a place where modern luxury and natural beauty exist in perfect harmony.
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