This beach house sits behind a bluff in Onjuku. a popular fishing resort and seaside resort on Chiba’s Pacific coast. ONJUKU SURF SHACK is a 2012 project deigned by BAKOKO. It is a weekend gateway that may become a permanent residence for an international couple who live and work in Tokyo. This house has a light and airy interior which is in contrast with its dark exterior skin.
Design
This beach house is located 300 meters from Onjuku’s famous white sand beach, built for an international couple. The husband is a lifelong surfer and once they reach retirement, this house may be their permanent residence. The concealed entrance of the house is served by a Japanese genkan, a porch separating the house from the built-in shed for stashing surfboards and bicycles.
It is a tunnel-like outer porch that connects the wooden deck and the gated rear entryway. This wooden deck incorporates a built-in seat and planter. Across the entire southern eave, the timber shutters slide easily and locking-down the house securely, protecting it from the seasonal typhoons.
Structure
This house maintains a low profile from the road. It has austere stained tongue and groove cladding that sourced from native Japanese cedar. There is also a private outdoor shower that leads into the tiled bathroom directly while a tranquil backdrop to the sunken bathtub is provided by the intimate garden.
Interior and Exterior
The dark exterior skin of this house exterior looks contrast with its light and airy interior. A spruce-clad box occupies the double-height living space, supporting the loft space of the house above and it contains WC, master bedroom, and bathroom below. Staircase and doors that close flush is also designed to conceal these private rooms.
Via a ladder, the shallow-pitched roof can be accessed easily. This ladder is extending into a large pivoting skylight. The loft spaces and a timber-lined lower study can be used as occasional guest rooms since this house is intended for casual entertaining.
This house is also designed based on passive design principles where the cross-ventilation can capture cool sea breezes and generous south-oriented glazing is shaded by the eaves. Slotted perforations are milled into the wooden balustrade to conceal mechanical air conditioning units cleanly and also promote air circulation. The wood-burning stove provides renewable heat energy when winter comes.
ONJUKU SURF SHACK Gallery
Photography: BAKOKO