Hanazono house in Japan belongs to Peter Grigg and is designed by Makoto Nakayama, a local architect. It is a two-story house that is completely dressed in steel. Covering the area of 500-square-meter, it is an attraction in a real sense of the word. It is a result of Peter Grigg’s passion of producing things. The house is specially designed to bear the weight of snow, as the area (Hokkaido) receives 600 inches of snow every year. Having a flat roof, the weight of the structure is supported by steel girders. Taking inspiration from old Japanese tradition, the first section of the house was built as hiraya, .i.e. one-level dwelling. Built by Kensetsu Construction Company for the equivalent of $2.5 million, it was built on a 12-acre lot costing equivalent of $3 million.
The interiors of the house ooze sophistication and elegance that you might have not seen before. Huge windows covering the area from floor to ceiling bring in the view of the pond. In the center there is a stone basin, Tsukubai that is usually found at the entrances of Japanese temples, allowing people to wash their hands. The best part about the house I really liked was that the water comes from 85-meter-deep well, which does not freeze in winter. The office in the house overlooks birch trees and is decorated with 70 vintage cameras. Just opposite the office there is mizuya, a small area to prepare tea. A passageway that leads to the second part of the building has been finished in concrete. Having total of five bedrooms, the walls of the house have been covered with kaiso do, a plaster that absorbs odor. There also exists an underground heating system that circulates hot water from kerosene-burning boiler. It is a futuristic and eclectic house design that can be inspirational for many of us when we build our homes.
