Project Name: Cave

Location: Toyama City, Japan

Design Team: EARTHEN

Total Floor Area: 67.17 m²

Completion: July 2023

Photography: MASATOMO MORIYAMA

Feature:

Project - Located in a historic residential district in Toyama City, Japan, the Cave apartment renovation designed by EARTHEN is more than just an interior renovation------it is a spatial manifesto that redefines the essence of dwelling through architectural language. Directly inspired by the profound archaeological background of the site, where Japan's largest-scale pit dwelling remains were discovered, the architect translates the longing for primordial shelter into revolutionary spatial reconstruction.

The most striking element of the project is architect Yuki Nara's original "gentle fusion of straight lines and curves" methodology, achieved by overlaying hand-drawn organic curves onto the apartment's existing rational grid system. This architectural gesture not only addresses the functional reorganization requirements of the 67-square-meter space but also creates a primordial atmosphere like an "earth cave," as if the entire living space naturally grows from the ground. Hand-drawn lines evolve into three-dimensional walls, furniture, and art installations through repeated refinement, achieving a poetic transformation from concept to entity.

Within this core space lies the residence's living sequence: living, dining, resting, and meditation functions seamlessly blend in the flowing space. The organization of these functions aims to foster introspection and tranquility, embodying the lifestyle concept of escaping urban chaos. Cave positions itself as a transitional space between "sanctuary" and the external world, connecting two states of material civilization and spiritual return.

The project's spatial quality contrasts within functionality. Removing existing partition walls and reintegrating utility systems provides necessary fluidity and openness for inhabitants. Curved walls not only provide spatial division but also serve as light modulators, becoming providers of "dwelling cues" within the space, helping to define different activity atmospheres.

Cave apartment thus becomes an architectural expression that transcends traditional dwelling definitions. It tells a story, establishing a sensitive dialogue between modern lifestyle, innovative design methodology, and site historical memory. A space returning to the primitive yet poetic rests in urban Toyama------a silent homage to the art of weaving together living, memory, and space.

Design Team - EARTHEN, established in 2021 and incorporated in 2022 by principal architect Yuki Nara in Kanazawa, Japan, has rapidly emerged as Japan's most innovative architectural and ceramic fusion practice over four years of professional excellence. Led by founding architect Yuki Nara, the firm's professional practice is based on deep understanding of land spirit and material essence, always seeking a unique and irreplicable solution for each project.

Fundamentals such as synchronization of architectural design with ceramic creation, fusion of unconscious spontaneity with design intentionality, and exploration of spatial primitiveness are characteristics that permeate all the work. Allied to these concepts, the team's work takes Japanese traditional craft spirit as a starting point, rethinking its application in contemporary architecture to answer with innovation essential problems in architecture.

The studio's design philosophy synthesizes three fundamental principles: seamless integration of architectural and ceramic craftsmanship, honest expression of material authenticity, and strategic thinking of earth consciousness as the core design driver. These core tenets permeate every project scale, from comprehensive spatial planning to meticulously crafted artisan details.

EARTHEN's architectural approach draws profound inspiration from Japanese traditional craft culture while simultaneously challenging conventional paradigms to address contemporary dwelling challenges. The firm's commitment to innovation has garnered international recognition, including the permanent collection of representative work "Bone Flower" by the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, and "Node Kanazawa" winning the youngest-ever recipient of the 33rd AACA Yoshinobu Ashihara Rookie Award. Their architectural projects exemplify a sophisticated balance between technical mastery and conceptual rigor, establishing new benchmarks for Japanese contemporary architecture through rigorous material research and spatial exploration.