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“I want to sit on tatami mats and work while looking at Mt Fuji and the cherry blossoms.”
Our director – Mr. Imai Hisashi – came up with this idea as soon as he saw this land. 1
Sobokuya is located in the mountainous area of northern Yamanashi Prefecture, which borders Tokyo to the west. The office is surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Yatsugatake Plateau. With the color of cherry blossoms in spring, the green of rice fields in summer, the red of leaves in autumn, the white of the snow in winter, you will surely be impressed by the landscape of the four seasons of the year.
Spring is the beginning of a new year and that’s when we gather at Sobokuya’s office to enjoy flowers and drink tea together. We will talk about a lot of stories of the past year, discuss future plans with desires and wishes. With the establishment of Sobokuya Vietnam at Vinhomes Ocean Park, Spring 2023 for us is a historic spring.
The deep eaves and Kokerabuki roof, which were originally brown, are now getting darker. Inside the room is the workplace which still has a cozy and elegant feeling, not imposing a feeling of distance like other offices with lifeless white spaces. An special feature of wooden architecture is the scent of Sugi wood (杉) – Japanese cedar wood, creating a unique fragrance that no other wood has.
We use the technique of “Ishibadate” (石場建て) – Building wooden posts on stones in the design and construction of the office. The use of stones at the foot of the wooden posts is a traditional method used since the Edo period. This technique not only helps the house by protecting it from the harmful effects which affect the life of the building, but also brings an aesthetically pleasing image as well as contributes to improving the value of the house.
Additionally, you can enjoy this unique architecture in the 8MATO project – a workspace in the forest designed and constructed by Sobokuya. We turned the challenge when building a house on the slope into a strong point to create a house with unique architecture where you can enjoy the fresh atmosphere of the forest and mountains.
Clay wall (土壁) is one of the popular factors in traditional Japanese architecture. The mixture of clay, sand, and straw will be mixed and applied to a bamboo lattice commonly known as Kimai. As the time passes by, the color of the wall will change and become darker like the brown of ceramic, which creates a sense of harmony with the room that uses wood as the main material.
The use of clay walls in the office is not only friendly to nature but also helps the room to regulate the temperature: “warm in winter, cool in summer”. As you may know, the winter in Japan is very cold, there are months when roads are covered by thick snow, but the inside of the house is still warm thanks to this clever design.
It is often said that a carpenter’s skill is shown through ingenuity, care and attention to detail. With creativity and high aesthetic sense, our carpenters have shown their skill through the unique way of making roofs at Sobokuya Japan’s office.
When deciding to use curved wood to make the beams of the office, we all know it is a difficult task. It is necessary to carefully calculate the structure so that the office will always be in a safe state for use. In addition, Yatsugatake is the land of Japanese red pine and we really want to make good use of the local wood resources.
Tannin and Bengara (iron oxide) are used to give the wood a black color that matches the clay walls. The construction process of electrical wiring in the office is also carefully done by us to protect the beauty of it.
Sobokuya Japan’s office has desks and bookshelves enough for 10 people to work comfortably. Large windows and skylights help to create a modern space full of natural light.
The place to work and meet with guests is a great combination of Hinoki wooden floors and Tatami mats, creating a space with a rustic, gentle fragrance that helps the spirit to relax and feel comfortable every day. A small glass window right under the bookshelves help to connect the workspace inside with the space outside the office.
With the desire to create a friendly working environment for employees, like at home, we specially designed the kitchen with full facilities without affecting the working space. This helps employees relax during lunch breaks or have a cup of coffee right away when they need a pick-me-up.
Outside the office is a green grass garden with old cherry blossom trees waiting for the blooming season. From the office, we can see Mt. Fuji – a common symbol when talking about Japan. The view of Mount Fuji from the beautiful window of our office is reminiscent of a painting.
On sunny days, Mt. Fuji beautifully appears through the window at Sobokuya’s office. Imagine that you are sitting in the tea room and looking at that towering mountain. You will definitely feel relaxed.
For Japanese people, it is very important to have quiet moments after a hard working day. That is how the human soul is energized. Sometimes, mental rest and recovery is much more important than physical ones.
Therefore, Sobokuya attaches great importance to the living space and quality of life of the people living in the house. Only when the spirit is well recovered, can health and quality of life be improved.
For that reason,
We do not build houses, we build happiness.
