1
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,084
I think it's time, Caroline, to
go and see how the other half live.

2
00:00:04,084 --> 00:00:06,064
Talk about
welcome to my humble abode!

3
00:00:06,064 --> 00:00:09,004
Cor, that is a whole lot of house!

4
00:00:11,060 --> 00:00:15,028
He's Piers Taylor, an award-winning
architect.

5
00:00:15,028 --> 00:00:19,036
I mean, the depth of this wall,
it's 4ft thick.

6
00:00:19,036 --> 00:00:21,016
After you, my lord.

7
00:00:21,016 --> 00:00:23,016
And she's Caroline Quentin,

8
00:00:23,016 --> 00:00:26,048
acclaimed actress and passionate
property developer.

9
00:00:26,048 --> 00:00:32,000
This house has the perfect ratio of
bedrooms to swimming pools.

10
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:33,052
We've been given the keys

11
00:00:33,052 --> 00:00:36,056
to some of the most incredible
houses in the world...

12
00:00:36,056 --> 00:00:39,032
If we were left alone here
for any amount of time,

13
00:00:39,032 --> 00:00:41,040
I have a feeling...
We would ruin this house.

14
00:00:42,064 --> 00:00:46,020
..to discover the design,
innovation, passion and endurance

15
00:00:46,020 --> 00:00:51,000
needed to transform architectural
vision into an extraordinary home.

16
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,028
It's so glamorous, Piers.

17
00:00:54,032 --> 00:00:56,020
We're travelling the globe...

18
00:00:57,060 --> 00:01:01,028
..meeting architects and owners,
to explore how their daring homes

19
00:01:01,028 --> 00:01:05,048
respond uniquely to local landscape,
climate and culture.

20
00:01:05,048 --> 00:01:08,084
I think this is probably the
greatest house I've ever been in.

21
00:01:08,084 --> 00:01:13,012
Whether it's battling the elements
to construct a dream home on

22
00:01:13,012 --> 00:01:15,012
dramatic Scandinavian terrain...

23
00:01:15,012 --> 00:01:18,012
The architect was nervous
that things would go wrong.

24
00:01:18,012 --> 00:01:20,008
He couldn't bear to look at it.

25
00:01:20,008 --> 00:01:23,036
..pushing the boundaries
of European experimentation...

26
00:01:23,036 --> 00:01:25,048
I think that's it.I think it is.

27
00:01:25,048 --> 00:01:29,052
When I looked at the proposal, at
the beginning, I was almost shocked.

28
00:01:29,052 --> 00:01:33,036
..celebrating craftsmanship
and beauty in Asia...

29
00:01:33,036 --> 00:01:35,076
They take away the extraneous,

30
00:01:35,076 --> 00:01:39,000
and they leave you with what is
beautiful.

31
00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,004
..or going all out for glamour
in America.

32
00:01:42,004 --> 00:01:46,032
You just do what you do best,
is to create a masterpiece.

33
00:01:46,032 --> 00:01:48,052
Piers! Is this too Miami?

34
00:01:57,076 --> 00:02:00,080
We're in Japan,
the Land of the Rising Sun,

35
00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,028
to find ground-breaking homes that
captivate and inspire.

36
00:02:04,028 --> 00:02:08,000
In a place that combines
miniaturisation and microchips with

37
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,024
ritual and tradition, it'll be
fascinating to see what their

38
00:02:11,024 --> 00:02:13,004
architects have accomplished.

39
00:02:13,004 --> 00:02:16,028
What do you think of when
you think of Japanese buildings?

40
00:02:16,028 --> 00:02:19,044
I think of an extraordinary
attention to detail...

41
00:02:19,044 --> 00:02:22,004
I think of tea ceremony...

42
00:02:22,004 --> 00:02:23,096
..and spaces that are highly
ordered...

43
00:02:25,060 --> 00:02:26,096
..and tidiness.

44
00:02:28,016 --> 00:02:31,028
Yeah, that wouldn't be good for you
or me.No.

45
00:02:32,036 --> 00:02:36,076
Japan's many mountain ranges mean
only a quarter of the land is
buildable.

46
00:02:36,076 --> 00:02:39,076
With a population of nearly 130
million,

47
00:02:39,076 --> 00:02:42,076
Japanese architects know that small
is beautiful.

48
00:02:44,084 --> 00:02:48,000
And whether it's an architect
let loose on the coast...

49
00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,048
This is like Stonehenge or
something.

50
00:02:50,048 --> 00:02:53,020
..a reinvention of an urban
townhouse...

51
00:02:53,020 --> 00:02:54,040
Where are we now?

52
00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,020
..or a woodland fantasy
to grow old in...

53
00:02:57,020 --> 00:03:01,004
It's magical, mysterious,
and romantic.

54
00:03:01,004 --> 00:03:03,092
..we'll discover how some of
Japan's best architects

55
00:03:03,092 --> 00:03:08,040
can package the old and the new in
all sorts of shapes and sizes.

56
00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,092
It's not big, but it is clever.

57
00:03:11,092 --> 00:03:15,064
Our first home is two hours
north-east of Tokyo in Izura,

58
00:03:15,064 --> 00:03:19,012
an affluent coastal area
known for its fishing.

59
00:03:19,012 --> 00:03:22,096
The sea is everywhere. I mean, it's
an abundant source of food here.

60
00:03:22,096 --> 00:03:25,068
I think each Japanese person eats
about 3lb a week...

61
00:03:25,068 --> 00:03:28,012
3lb a week, OK...of fish.
I mean, that's what's...

62
00:03:28,012 --> 00:03:32,084
3lb is, well, you know, it's half
the size of your average baby.

63
00:03:32,084 --> 00:03:35,064
80% of the Japanese live by the sea.

64
00:03:35,064 --> 00:03:38,092
There are nearly 30,000km
of coastline,

65
00:03:38,092 --> 00:03:41,060
but in a place highly prone to
earthquakes,

66
00:03:41,060 --> 00:03:43,068
it's not always
the best place to be.

67
00:03:45,064 --> 00:03:50,028
In 2011, the north-east coast was
hit by the Tohoku earthquake

68
00:03:50,028 --> 00:03:54,016
and tsunami - the costliest natural
disaster in modern history.

69
00:03:58,004 --> 00:04:02,020
I'm glad to say that today
the rebuilding is almost complete,

70
00:04:02,020 --> 00:04:06,076
and that traditional techniques and
materials are very much in evidence.

71
00:04:06,076 --> 00:04:10,000
This, to me, seems sort of typically
Japanese.

72
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,032
It's the wood again, which must be
right up your street, isn't it?

73
00:04:13,032 --> 00:04:16,024
Well, timber's a really resilient
material, it's great

74
00:04:16,024 --> 00:04:18,076
in earthquake zones. It deals with
moving around

75
00:04:18,076 --> 00:04:21,000
and that shake that you get
in earthquakes.

76
00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,020
Steel will fail instantly,
whereas timber won't.

77
00:04:24,020 --> 00:04:26,088
The house we're going to go and see
today is entirely made of wood.

78
00:04:26,088 --> 00:04:30,088
That's why we're coming.Indeed, and
I think the clue as to who owns

79
00:04:30,088 --> 00:04:33,056
this house might be right in front
of us here,

80
00:04:33,056 --> 00:04:35,076
because he's a fisherman, isn't he?

81
00:04:35,076 --> 00:04:38,052
Look at this stuff, isn't it
gorgeous?!It's fabulous.

82
00:04:38,052 --> 00:04:39,088
There's complete order to this.

83
00:04:39,088 --> 00:04:42,008
Yeah. Do you reckon it's organised
chaos?

84
00:04:42,008 --> 00:04:43,036
He knows where everything is.

85
00:04:43,036 --> 00:04:45,052
This is like my father-in-law's
barn.

86
00:04:45,052 --> 00:04:48,016
Here we go, here's your horoscope.

87
00:04:48,016 --> 00:04:50,096
Oh, yes, look. "Today you are going
to go and visit...

88
00:04:52,012 --> 00:04:54,000
"..a wooden house." That's uncanny!

89
00:04:55,012 --> 00:04:59,052
But even having read our horoscopes
and having found ramshackle tackle,

90
00:04:59,052 --> 00:05:02,088
we failed to predict
what we're about to see.

91
00:05:02,088 --> 00:05:05,032
I think this is it. It is it.

92
00:05:05,032 --> 00:05:08,008
And it's not a fisherman's cottage,
is it?

93
00:05:08,008 --> 00:05:09,060
It's quite dramatic, isn't it?

94
00:05:09,060 --> 00:05:11,068
It's really dramatic,
REALLY dramatic.

95
00:05:15,004 --> 00:05:18,084
House in Izura, though built for
a fisherman and his family,

96
00:05:18,084 --> 00:05:21,048
is hardly the cottage
one might have expected.

97
00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:29,020
Built on a steep hillside, perched
on three structural pedestals,

98
00:05:29,020 --> 00:05:33,044
this house is earthquake resistant,
but also, through its clever design,

99
00:05:33,044 --> 00:05:36,000
manages to marry an approach to
modernity

100
00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,020
with traditional Japanese craft.

101
00:05:41,020 --> 00:05:43,016
This timber construction is
so evident,

102
00:05:43,016 --> 00:05:45,064
the way the joints are expressed
at the corner,

103
00:05:45,064 --> 00:05:48,048
the way everything sits on top
of everything else and steps out,

104
00:05:48,048 --> 00:05:49,084
like a tree. And actually,

105
00:05:49,084 --> 00:05:53,072
the silver birches here are a little
bit like the structure that holds up

106
00:05:53,072 --> 00:05:55,032
the whole of the house.

107
00:05:55,032 --> 00:05:57,012
It's got huge energy, hasn't it?

108
00:05:57,012 --> 00:05:59,000
It does, it does - like you.
Just whooshes up.

109
00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,052
Yes, exactly! It's sort of throws
itself up in the air, doesn't it?

110
00:06:02,052 --> 00:06:05,056
It does, yeah, and actually
it's very ritualistic,
making an entrance.

111
00:06:05,056 --> 00:06:11,008
# I've been lifted, lifted,
lifted... #

112
00:06:11,008 --> 00:06:14,064
The biggest challenge building
House in Izura was to create a

113
00:06:14,064 --> 00:06:18,044
stable flat platform,
not only on a steep hillside,

114
00:06:18,044 --> 00:06:21,008
but in an area at high-risk
from earthquakes.

115
00:06:22,052 --> 00:06:25,084
The architect's solution was to
build three timber structures -

116
00:06:25,084 --> 00:06:28,064
splayed pillars set in plinths of
concrete.

117
00:06:28,064 --> 00:06:32,060
Flexible, but still strong enough
to support the house.

118
00:06:32,060 --> 00:06:35,044
The wooden box above is V-shaped.

119
00:06:35,044 --> 00:06:39,012
One wing contains the kitchen,
dining room, living room

120
00:06:39,012 --> 00:06:42,080
and a master bedroom suite
and an external corridor that

121
00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:46,020
runs the length of the building.
In the other wing,

122
00:06:46,020 --> 00:06:49,080
there's a hallway, an office
and four more bedrooms.

123
00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:53,048
Above is a study and storage room,
and at the back,

124
00:06:53,048 --> 00:06:56,008
a garage and workshop for the
owner's fishing gear.

125
00:06:57,052 --> 00:06:59,092
# I've been lifted... #

126
00:07:01,056 --> 00:07:03,076
This is a workplace
as well as a home,

127
00:07:03,076 --> 00:07:06,044
wrapped up in inventive
timber construction.

128
00:07:08,064 --> 00:07:12,008
It's like a great big firework
shooting up into the sky.

129
00:07:12,008 --> 00:07:15,088
I mean, this is like some
extraordinary tree house in here.

130
00:07:15,088 --> 00:07:19,040
I'm going in. If I don't come out,
Caroline, it's been lovely!

131
00:07:20,084 --> 00:07:22,040
Actually, I think I'm stuck now.

132
00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,024
No, you can't be stuck
with your little nine-inch hips.

133
00:07:25,024 --> 00:07:28,016
Come and have a look.No, I won't be
able to get in there, darling,

134
00:07:28,016 --> 00:07:29,096
there's two very good reasons
why not.

135
00:07:29,096 --> 00:07:32,008
It's all built on a great big
termite mound.

136
00:07:32,008 --> 00:07:35,056
But actually, the underbelly of this
house is one of the most beautiful

137
00:07:35,056 --> 00:07:37,028
things I've ever seen.

138
00:07:37,028 --> 00:07:39,024
Yes, it's a lovely view from here,
as well.

139
00:07:43,084 --> 00:07:46,004
So young and agile!

140
00:07:46,004 --> 00:07:50,000
Building these columns meant that
every member had to be tested for

141
00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:51,096
its individual strength,

142
00:07:51,096 --> 00:07:55,044
because every new building in Japan
has to be earthquake resistant.

143
00:07:56,052 --> 00:07:59,068
This really does feel ceremonial,
doesn't it, under this?

144
00:07:59,068 --> 00:08:03,000
It's wonderful to walk under
a building to enter it

145
00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,048
and then clearly up the stairs,
here, to the front door.

146
00:08:07,048 --> 00:08:12,032
And closer up, the attention to
detail really becomes clear.

147
00:08:12,032 --> 00:08:14,036
It's interesting how Japanese
this is, though.

148
00:08:14,036 --> 00:08:16,028
Look at the bolts on all of these.

149
00:08:16,028 --> 00:08:19,048
I mean, I could talk all day about
bolts, but look at them, I mean,

150
00:08:19,048 --> 00:08:22,040
these decorative bolt heads
that run along here.

151
00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,008
Don't you think they're lovely?
I do.

152
00:08:25,008 --> 00:08:26,036
And in?Let's go.

153
00:08:31,008 --> 00:08:34,060
Inside the house, there's a real
celebration of timber,

154
00:08:34,060 --> 00:08:37,076
with an amazing attention to detail
in elements such as this

155
00:08:37,076 --> 00:08:39,060
cantilevered stair.

156
00:08:40,096 --> 00:08:43,076
Before we explore,
we do what the Japanese do.

157
00:08:43,076 --> 00:08:46,012
I would take a bit of time
to get used to this.

158
00:08:46,012 --> 00:08:47,092
You and shoes.I'm so uncouth.

159
00:08:47,092 --> 00:08:50,040
When in Rome...or Izura!

160
00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:55,016
I like that idea in Japanese homes
that when you come in and you've

161
00:08:55,016 --> 00:08:58,032
taken your shoes off, it sort of
slows you down to enter the home.

162
00:08:58,032 --> 00:09:00,036
And, again, it's that sense
of ceremony.

163
00:09:00,036 --> 00:09:02,044
That's right. I mean,
on one hand it's a bit of a pain,

164
00:09:02,044 --> 00:09:05,000
to keep taking your shoes off
every time you go in and out,

165
00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,088
but somehow also it changes
your rhythm.

166
00:09:07,088 --> 00:09:08,092
Nice slippers!

167
00:09:10,036 --> 00:09:11,040
Ooh...

168
00:09:12,084 --> 00:09:14,084
Nice screen, isn't it lovely, that?

169
00:09:18,036 --> 00:09:21,000
And into this, again, wooden
living space.

170
00:09:22,020 --> 00:09:26,012
Inside, the unashamed loyalty
to wood continues,

171
00:09:26,012 --> 00:09:29,048
with an almost sauna-like devotion.

172
00:09:29,048 --> 00:09:33,092
But perhaps more importantly, timber
is also the perfect structural

173
00:09:33,092 --> 00:09:36,004
material for earthquake zones.

174
00:09:36,004 --> 00:09:37,076
It's not open plan...

175
00:09:38,088 --> 00:09:42,024
..but the space isn't hemmed in
by conventional walls.

176
00:09:43,088 --> 00:09:47,000
I love it that it's only just
wide enough to squeeze through.

177
00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:53,060
Yeah. This is just a normal-sized
room, but, brilliantly, you can see

178
00:09:53,060 --> 00:09:55,080
through both sides,

179
00:09:55,080 --> 00:10:00,072
so you've got light coming in
from both sides of the building.

180
00:10:00,072 --> 00:10:04,008
It's quite modest, isn't it,
the scale of these spaces?

181
00:10:05,052 --> 00:10:09,092
It is, because, from outside,
it looks absolutely enormous.

182
00:10:09,092 --> 00:10:14,056
But when you come inside, the spaces
are really quite small and domestic.

183
00:10:14,056 --> 00:10:16,032
A tiny fisherman's cottage.

184
00:10:16,032 --> 00:10:18,092
Yeah. Exactly what we thought
it would be.

185
00:10:18,092 --> 00:10:21,088
MUSIC PLAYS

186
00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,000
None of these rooms are particularly
large.

187
00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,060
In Japan, it's the quality of the
space, rather than the quantity,

188
00:10:32,060 --> 00:10:33,068
that's important.

189
00:10:35,004 --> 00:10:39,024
Internally, there's an emphasis on
making the use of space as efficient

190
00:10:39,024 --> 00:10:40,028
as possible.

191
00:10:41,044 --> 00:10:43,000
The bedrooms are tiny -

192
00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,004
hidden away
inside this white piece of joinery.

193
00:10:46,004 --> 00:10:50,052
It has everything you need,
including foldout beds.

194
00:10:54,016 --> 00:10:56,004
Somewhere for the homework.

195
00:10:56,004 --> 00:10:59,092
I bet Japanese children
actually do their homework.

196
00:11:02,020 --> 00:11:05,020
Between the two external skins
of the house,

197
00:11:05,020 --> 00:11:08,008
the architect has designed
a light-filled veranda.

198
00:11:09,056 --> 00:11:13,048
This place is typical of many
traditional Japanese houses that

199
00:11:13,048 --> 00:11:18,024
would've had walkways between
storm shutters and shoji screens.

200
00:11:18,024 --> 00:11:21,036
But it's beautifully made
out of all this cedar.

201
00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:30,004
Traditional paper screens have been
replaced by glass.

202
00:11:30,004 --> 00:11:33,004
The storm shutters have become walls
of windows which,

203
00:11:33,004 --> 00:11:35,052
in a climate
of such seasonal extremes,

204
00:11:35,052 --> 00:11:39,028
ventilate and cool the house
as well as keeping insects out.

205
00:11:43,068 --> 00:11:48,024
These fly screens are absolutely
necessary in these corridors,

206
00:11:48,024 --> 00:11:52,092
because here in Japan, the
mosquitoes can be a real nuisance.

207
00:11:52,092 --> 00:11:57,096
But what I love about this corridor,
this indoor-outdoor corridor,

208
00:11:57,096 --> 00:12:03,076
as it were, is
all these windows open.

209
00:12:05,028 --> 00:12:08,056
So you get a wonderful
through-draught and then,

210
00:12:08,056 --> 00:12:12,060
when the mosquitoes come,
shut them out.

211
00:12:15,028 --> 00:12:17,084
Opening windows isn't remarkable
in itself,

212
00:12:17,084 --> 00:12:22,000
but it becomes extraordinary when
there are more than 160 of them.

213
00:12:29,096 --> 00:12:33,016
And the amount of windows is just
the beginning.

214
00:12:36,016 --> 00:12:41,060
This is a complex piece of
construction on a steeply sloping

215
00:12:41,060 --> 00:12:47,052
site and these columns support a
very big beam that connects

216
00:12:47,052 --> 00:12:49,056
back to the bedrock.

217
00:12:49,056 --> 00:12:53,056
And then, above that,
there is a roof.

218
00:12:53,056 --> 00:12:55,048
There is another beam.

219
00:12:55,048 --> 00:13:00,012
And, between them, there's
not a lot of visible structure.

220
00:13:00,012 --> 00:13:04,036
But, cleverly, in the zone
of the wall is cross bracing,

221
00:13:04,036 --> 00:13:07,000
which effectively holds the roof up.

222
00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:14,060
And then there are layers of
louvres, which give solidity, and

223
00:13:14,060 --> 00:13:21,048
within those layers of louvre there
are then strategically placed

224
00:13:21,048 --> 00:13:26,072
windows that never sit, of course,
where the cross bracing is.

225
00:13:26,072 --> 00:13:30,008
So although they seem randomly
placed,

226
00:13:30,008 --> 00:13:33,004
they miss all of the cross bracing.

227
00:13:33,004 --> 00:13:37,040
But I think, cleverly, the edge of
the house steps back and tapers and,

228
00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,020
in a way, that is like a tree.

229
00:13:40,020 --> 00:13:43,044
So when you look at it and you
see it in this forest,

230
00:13:43,044 --> 00:13:45,088
it makes complete sense.

231
00:13:50,028 --> 00:13:53,096
The owner of the house is
Hiroshi Watanabe.

232
00:13:53,096 --> 00:13:58,072
He's always lived nearby with his
family, but not on this site.

233
00:13:58,072 --> 00:14:01,096
What made you decide to build a
brand-new house here?

234
00:14:42,092 --> 00:14:48,048
What did you ask for, what did you
say you wanted of your architect?

235
00:15:10,048 --> 00:15:12,080
The architect is Kotaro Anzai.

236
00:15:13,084 --> 00:15:18,024
Much of his work majors on timber
construction, and consistent in all

237
00:15:18,024 --> 00:15:22,064
of his work is a sharp focus on
material, light and detail.

238
00:15:24,072 --> 00:15:28,072
Is this a challenge for you to
design and construct this house,

239
00:15:28,072 --> 00:15:29,096
given its complexity?

240
00:15:53,048 --> 00:15:57,088
And what about the idea of these two
buildings supported on treelike

241
00:15:57,088 --> 00:16:00,000
structures that come
out of the ground?

242
00:16:13,096 --> 00:16:18,028
This is a region where there was a
terrible tsunami very recently.

243
00:16:18,028 --> 00:16:21,076
How do you deal with that in
construction now?

244
00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:50,076
We look to our homes to protect us
from the elements.

245
00:16:50,076 --> 00:16:54,048
For Hiroshi's family, who suffered
so badly in the earthquake,

246
00:16:54,048 --> 00:16:57,020
home is more than a refuge.

247
00:16:57,020 --> 00:17:01,092
You lost your house
in the earthquake.

248
00:17:03,020 --> 00:17:07,092
How did that feel and has this house
helped you get over that?

249
00:17:51,020 --> 00:17:56,020
For Hiroshi and his family, this
house is a fresh start and renewed
hope.

250
00:17:57,024 --> 00:17:59,016
And this house is tailor-made,

251
00:17:59,016 --> 00:18:03,032
allowing both domestic life and
business to flourish together.

252
00:18:07,016 --> 00:18:10,016
Hi.Hello.
This is Hiroshi's workplace.

253
00:18:10,016 --> 00:18:13,008
It's perfect.This is
his shower room.

254
00:18:13,008 --> 00:18:15,024
I love it. This is how all kitchens
should be.

255
00:18:15,024 --> 00:18:18,088
Just make as much mess as you like
and sluice it all down.

256
00:18:18,088 --> 00:18:22,084
Isn't it fantastic, in a world where
people are increasingly building

257
00:18:22,084 --> 00:18:27,032
live-work spaces, to see the place
that is actually a work-live space.

258
00:18:27,032 --> 00:18:30,036
So none of that kind of hiding
things away or feeling one has to be

259
00:18:30,036 --> 00:18:33,008
kind of neat in a kind of...
In a sort of groovy, modern house,

260
00:18:33,008 --> 00:18:35,056
you've got to hide all the stuff you
are working with.

261
00:18:35,056 --> 00:18:37,000
It's there and it's beautiful.

262
00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,064
Because those groovy, modern houses
are so spick and span.

263
00:18:39,064 --> 00:18:41,012
That's what ruins them, isn't it?

264
00:18:41,012 --> 00:18:43,072
Do you not have all your
architectural stuff out everywhere?

265
00:18:43,072 --> 00:18:45,028
I have nothing. I just have...

266
00:18:45,028 --> 00:18:47,016
That's it.

267
00:18:47,016 --> 00:18:48,020
I know that's not true!

268
00:19:07,056 --> 00:19:12,020
Our next home in Japan takes us to
the other side of Tokyo,

269
00:19:12,020 --> 00:19:15,000
to the coastal backwater of
Izukogen.

270
00:19:18,084 --> 00:19:21,096
Japan's population is
rapidly ageing.

271
00:19:21,096 --> 00:19:24,052
More than a quarter are over 65.

272
00:19:24,052 --> 00:19:28,028
So now people are beginning to think
of inventive ways of making old-age

273
00:19:28,028 --> 00:19:29,064
something to look forward to.

274
00:19:32,036 --> 00:19:35,096
The house we're going to see is far
from the conventional notion

275
00:19:35,096 --> 00:19:37,084
of a retirement home.

276
00:19:37,084 --> 00:19:41,040
Its wooded hillside location has
forced us to ditch the car

277
00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,016
and to find the house on foot.

278
00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:51,016
This is a completely different way
of entering a home for elderly
people,

279
00:19:51,016 --> 00:19:54,012
isn't it?It is, because we'd never,
ever do this normally, would we?

280
00:19:54,012 --> 00:19:57,064
Because it's difficult terrain, so
you'd have to concentrate hard.

281
00:19:57,064 --> 00:20:00,040
It would use you physically
in a different way.

282
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,016
But it takes you on a journey,
doesn't it?

283
00:20:02,016 --> 00:20:05,068
Yes.It takes you on a journey away
from the stuff of the everyday into

284
00:20:05,068 --> 00:20:07,012
a magical world.

285
00:20:07,012 --> 00:20:08,076
What do you think we'll see?

286
00:20:08,076 --> 00:20:12,048
I don't know. It's very exciting,
because I think the idea of treating

287
00:20:12,048 --> 00:20:17,060
people once they hit their later
years as sentient human beings with

288
00:20:17,060 --> 00:20:20,096
imagination and a desire to be
excited and stimulated

289
00:20:20,096 --> 00:20:22,036
is really important.

290
00:20:23,076 --> 00:20:27,048
As if at a certain age you're
suddenly not interested in any of

291
00:20:27,048 --> 00:20:29,032
the beauty of life, or the magic.

292
00:20:29,032 --> 00:20:31,048
That's right.You're told you're not
allowed to.

293
00:20:31,048 --> 00:20:36,040
I've never seen a place that has a
roof anything like that.

294
00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:39,092
It's a bit like pencils sticking up
in the air, isn't it?

295
00:20:39,092 --> 00:20:41,088
It is. Sharpened pencils, yeah,
yeah.

296
00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:49,024
MUSIC PLAYS

297
00:20:59,060 --> 00:21:03,080
Jikka House is an extraordinary
grouping of primitive-looking

298
00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:07,048
tepee-like structures echoing
Japan's ancient past.

299
00:21:07,048 --> 00:21:09,012
It isn't just a home, though,

300
00:21:09,012 --> 00:21:12,056
it's also run as a cafe and
community centre for the local area.

301
00:21:14,068 --> 00:21:19,076
Here, the owners have resisted the
tendency to become more conservative
in old age.

302
00:21:21,064 --> 00:21:23,012
It's a romantic building.

303
00:21:23,012 --> 00:21:25,092
This whole journey about arriving
through the woods, up the path.

304
00:21:25,092 --> 00:21:28,028
I mean, if there was an ordinary
building at the end of it,

305
00:21:28,028 --> 00:21:32,048
it wouldn't be worth it, so it has
to be magical, mysterious and
romantic.

306
00:21:32,048 --> 00:21:34,072
It's a fairy tale.It is, it is.

307
00:21:34,072 --> 00:21:36,096
It's like something from
Hans Christian Andersen.

308
00:21:36,096 --> 00:21:40,028
You almost expect there to be a
little goblin or a witch

309
00:21:40,028 --> 00:21:42,076
living in there,
who, if you don't behave well,

310
00:21:42,076 --> 00:21:47,004
will put you in a cage and feed you
until you're so fat you can't move.

311
00:21:47,004 --> 00:21:48,008
But...Let's hope!

312
00:21:51,076 --> 00:21:56,044
The five pods with their conical
wooden roofs seem almost boat-like

313
00:21:56,044 --> 00:21:57,048
in construction.

314
00:21:58,052 --> 00:22:00,016
Reminiscent of a hobbit house,

315
00:22:00,016 --> 00:22:03,008
I wouldn't be surprised to see
Bilbo Baggins inside,

316
00:22:03,008 --> 00:22:05,032
clipping his enormous toenails.

317
00:22:05,032 --> 00:22:08,060
I mean, this little arched doorway.

318
00:22:08,060 --> 00:22:10,064
Perfectly Caroline Quentin sized.

319
00:22:10,064 --> 00:22:12,056
It could be made for me,
couldn't it?

320
00:22:12,056 --> 00:22:15,000
It could. Yes.And this is
a wonderful little courtyard.

321
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:19,080
I mean, it's so cute, so pretty,
with a view out to the ocean.

322
00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,060
It's really very beautiful.

323
00:22:21,060 --> 00:22:24,072
And I can see into what I think is,
I don't know, actually,

324
00:22:24,072 --> 00:22:26,068
is it a dining room or a kitchen?

325
00:22:26,068 --> 00:22:28,028
Something.Yeah.

326
00:22:28,028 --> 00:22:30,040
And all you can see is,
actually English tea sets.

327
00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,060
I mean, it's kind of more bonkers
on the inside.

328
00:22:39,064 --> 00:22:43,000
The word "eccentric" hardly does
this place justice.

329
00:22:44,016 --> 00:22:46,008
It's just all so quirky.

330
00:22:50,028 --> 00:22:53,060
Sitting on this plateau in the
woods, the challenge was to build an

331
00:22:53,060 --> 00:22:56,096
interesting home that could also be
a sociable meeting place.

332
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:03,072
The solution was five linked pods
beneath conical roof forms.

333
00:23:05,064 --> 00:23:10,044
At its heart, the largest room
contains a kitchen and workbench

334
00:23:10,044 --> 00:23:13,076
with enough space to welcome guests
and act as the cafe.

335
00:23:15,048 --> 00:23:19,000
Two pairs of rooms either side
provide bedrooms,

336
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:24,000
a work and preparation space,
and a bathhouse at the far end.

337
00:23:29,012 --> 00:23:31,012
Wow, what a beautiful room.

338
00:23:32,048 --> 00:23:36,028
This is the biggest room in this
house, but it's still quite small.

339
00:23:36,028 --> 00:23:40,060
But it doesn't feel small because
of the loftiness of this roof that

340
00:23:40,060 --> 00:23:44,012
is this conical structure.
It's almost cathedral-like.

341
00:23:44,012 --> 00:23:49,052
And there are 30 pieces of timber
that come down from the oculus and

342
00:23:49,052 --> 00:23:53,000
bear on this reinforced concrete
external wall.

343
00:23:58,064 --> 00:24:03,012
The concrete that's used for the
walls throughout the house are still

344
00:24:03,012 --> 00:24:07,056
visible here, so you've got
this wonderful industrial finish,

345
00:24:07,056 --> 00:24:13,008
but then cut deep in
are these gorgeous arches.

346
00:24:13,008 --> 00:24:17,052
So when you're lying in bed, you're
still very much in touch with
nature.

347
00:24:21,020 --> 00:24:26,024
With their tepee-like quality,
the warmth of these insulated timber

348
00:24:26,024 --> 00:24:30,056
roofs remind us of the natural
world, and the quirky, decorative

349
00:24:30,056 --> 00:24:35,056
touches and eclectic furniture all
go to make this a cosy environment.

350
00:24:38,088 --> 00:24:41,020
And here is a bath.

351
00:24:42,068 --> 00:24:45,072
But it's not like any bath
I've ever seen before.

352
00:24:47,020 --> 00:24:49,040
It's like an ammonite -

353
00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:53,040
a shell shape
made out of concrete.

354
00:24:56,012 --> 00:25:00,036
With its gentle slope, it's also
designed for wheelchair access.

355
00:25:01,088 --> 00:25:03,084
And not only that,

356
00:25:03,084 --> 00:25:07,096
but this whole
thing just continues with that theme

357
00:25:07,096 --> 00:25:12,048
of treating people with age
and perhaps some disabilities

358
00:25:12,048 --> 00:25:16,004
with a sense of dignity,
as if they still have an imagination

359
00:25:16,004 --> 00:25:18,036
and like to be challenged
and excited.

360
00:25:25,004 --> 00:25:29,020
This is an extraordinary set of
spaces linked together by a series

361
00:25:29,020 --> 00:25:31,096
of unusual shapes,
curves and angles.

362
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,096
Jikka House's structure was built
in two key stages.

363
00:25:38,096 --> 00:25:42,096
First, the semi-circular walls had
to be cast in concrete before the

364
00:25:42,096 --> 00:25:46,004
conical roof forms could be added,

365
00:25:46,004 --> 00:25:49,028
which were then clad in hundreds
of individual pieces of cedar.

366
00:25:50,092 --> 00:25:54,024
It's become softer now,
after a few years.

367
00:25:54,024 --> 00:25:56,012
And, in a way, it feels magical.

368
00:26:00,096 --> 00:26:04,032
Its owners are old friends,
Nobuko and Sachiko,

369
00:26:04,032 --> 00:26:07,040
who met working together cooking
bento boxes

370
00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,012
for the elderly in Tokyo.

371
00:26:09,012 --> 00:26:12,048
They open their home as a cafe for
the local community.

372
00:26:14,008 --> 00:26:16,000
So what can I do to help?

373
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,060
Can I help you in here?
Yes, please.Thank you.

374
00:26:18,060 --> 00:26:21,032
We are now making a soup.

375
00:26:22,060 --> 00:26:24,084
Vegetable soup.Vegetable soup.
Very good.

376
00:26:24,084 --> 00:26:26,068
A little bit Japanese style.OK.

377
00:26:26,068 --> 00:26:30,008
Here, look at these big mushrooms.
Mushrooms!

378
00:26:30,008 --> 00:26:32,092
Never eat anything bigger than your
own head.

379
00:26:34,036 --> 00:26:37,088
Soon after meeting, Nobuko and
Sachiko had the idea of creating a

380
00:26:37,088 --> 00:26:41,072
purpose-built house that would cater
for their needs as they got older.

381
00:26:42,068 --> 00:26:44,036
You met how long ago?

382
00:26:45,052 --> 00:26:48,096
20 or more years ago.

383
00:26:48,096 --> 00:26:50,088
20 years ago?

384
00:26:50,088 --> 00:26:52,076
And how did you meet?

385
00:26:54,020 --> 00:26:57,068
Maybe living near, closer.

386
00:26:57,068 --> 00:26:59,044
Neighbours, you were neighbours?

387
00:26:59,044 --> 00:27:03,052
Yes.So when did the idea come to
build this house?

388
00:27:03,052 --> 00:27:05,020
About ten years before.

389
00:27:05,020 --> 00:27:07,040
For our senior age.

390
00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,084
And I'm just worrying
about loneliness.

391
00:27:10,084 --> 00:27:14,052
And then we are thinking,
"How about helping each other?

392
00:27:14,052 --> 00:27:18,060
"Let's try it."It's a brilliant
idea for you two to think,

393
00:27:18,060 --> 00:27:20,048
"How are we going to manage?"

394
00:27:20,048 --> 00:27:24,016
Yes.Having found the land,
all they needed was an architect and

395
00:27:24,016 --> 00:27:27,024
there's nothing like keeping it
in the family.

396
00:27:28,032 --> 00:27:33,016
So your son, when you bought
this land, how old was he?

397
00:27:33,016 --> 00:27:37,044
Maybe 12 years old or more.

398
00:27:37,044 --> 00:27:40,052
But now he's grown-up and he's
an architect?

399
00:27:40,052 --> 00:27:42,036
Yes.

400
00:27:42,036 --> 00:27:43,040
How very lucky!

401
00:27:44,052 --> 00:27:47,092
I asked him.Did you say,
"Please be an architect"?

402
00:27:47,092 --> 00:27:50,048
"Make for me a house!"Did you,
when he was little, did you say,

403
00:27:50,048 --> 00:27:52,048
"Please be an architect"?

404
00:27:52,048 --> 00:27:55,056
Fantastic. I must ask my son that.

405
00:27:55,056 --> 00:27:59,008
I have a son. I'm going to say
to him, "Please build me a house,
William."

406
00:27:59,008 --> 00:28:02,092
No chance. He wants to be
a pro basketball player.

407
00:28:02,092 --> 00:28:06,040
As an architect, building your first
house is important.

408
00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,004
Building it for your mother comes
with added pressure,

409
00:28:09,004 --> 00:28:11,024
so I need to find out - why this?

410
00:28:11,024 --> 00:28:12,028
She never wanted...

411
00:28:13,028 --> 00:28:14,060
She never wanted a statement,

412
00:28:14,060 --> 00:28:18,088
she just wanted a place where people
could gather and feel at home.

413
00:28:18,088 --> 00:28:23,068
You can gather and feel at home in
a normal suburban Japanese house.

414
00:28:23,068 --> 00:28:27,080
Yes.This is not a normal suburban
Japanese house like I've seen.

415
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,084
She wanted many people from many
different backgrounds,

416
00:28:30,084 --> 00:28:34,012
so rather than, like,
a traditional Japanese house,

417
00:28:34,012 --> 00:28:35,060
or like a Western house,

418
00:28:35,060 --> 00:28:38,092
it naturally became this primitive
gathering space.

419
00:28:38,092 --> 00:28:40,096
Like the houses from the Stone Age,

420
00:28:40,096 --> 00:28:43,028
where people gather
around their fire.

421
00:28:43,028 --> 00:28:46,096
But you were really young when she
asked you to do this, were you not?

422
00:28:46,096 --> 00:28:52,068
I think I was still in school and
she told me about her dream and she

423
00:28:52,068 --> 00:28:55,084
said that, at one point in her life,
she was going to do it.

424
00:28:55,084 --> 00:29:00,044
So I always had that sense that I
was going to do this mother's house.

425
00:29:00,044 --> 00:29:02,064
So I had to do it right.

426
00:29:02,064 --> 00:29:04,028
It was a tough one.

427
00:29:04,028 --> 00:29:08,080
Whose idea was it
to have these wonderful shapes?

428
00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:11,000
He made.He made that choice?

429
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,068
And what did you think
when you saw it?

430
00:29:13,068 --> 00:29:15,016
We were very surprised.

431
00:29:17,012 --> 00:29:20,020
I never imagined such a shape.

432
00:29:20,020 --> 00:29:23,084
Yeah. And were you pleased
by the shape, did you like it?

433
00:29:23,084 --> 00:29:26,076
Yes.You did like it? Straight away
you thought it was good?

434
00:29:26,076 --> 00:29:29,064
Now, we so love to stay here.

435
00:29:34,064 --> 00:29:36,048
It's OK?!

436
00:29:39,024 --> 00:29:41,076
At present, only Sachiko lives here.

437
00:29:41,076 --> 00:29:45,024
The plan is that, on retirement,
they'll live here together.

438
00:29:45,024 --> 00:29:49,024
For now, though, the cafe is a
social hub and helps bring the local

439
00:29:49,024 --> 00:29:50,028
community together.

440
00:29:52,016 --> 00:29:55,044
Why do people come here? Is it
because of friends, or...?

441
00:29:55,044 --> 00:30:01,032
May come with the friends to eat
together and talking, talking,
talking.

442
00:30:01,032 --> 00:30:04,028
So this is a very nice time, to stay
here.

443
00:30:04,028 --> 00:30:05,068
Really nice, really nice.

444
00:30:05,068 --> 00:30:08,072
I love to hear that sound.

445
00:30:08,072 --> 00:30:12,016
They are laughing at something.

446
00:30:12,016 --> 00:30:16,016
I love because the space is so nice,
I think.

447
00:30:16,016 --> 00:30:19,020
And I bet the sound of people
talking, laughing,

448
00:30:19,020 --> 00:30:22,024
because of the dome, is even more
beautiful.

449
00:30:22,024 --> 00:30:23,096
I like those... Right up.

450
00:30:23,096 --> 00:30:25,072
You've got a very clever son.

451
00:30:25,072 --> 00:30:27,016
Don't worry, it's all right!

452
00:30:32,012 --> 00:30:36,016
MUSIC PLAYS

453
00:30:40,048 --> 00:30:42,052
Most days, the restaurant is full.

454
00:30:42,052 --> 00:30:45,088
A warm welcome, good company
and a great three-course meal

455
00:30:45,088 --> 00:30:48,008
for seven quid
mean it's always busy.

456
00:30:49,072 --> 00:30:54,004
In honour of our visit, there's a
British classic on the menu.

457
00:30:54,004 --> 00:30:56,064
It's traditional. It's called
shepherd's pie.

458
00:30:56,064 --> 00:30:59,060
Shepherd's pie?Yeah. Yeah.
Did you like shepherd's pie?

459
00:30:59,060 --> 00:31:01,084
Yeah, I like shepherd's pie.

460
00:31:01,084 --> 00:31:04,032
It's marvellous to see it eaten
with chopsticks.

461
00:31:05,056 --> 00:31:09,012
Whatever's on the menu, they're
definitely getting their vitamins.

462
00:31:09,012 --> 00:31:11,008
Myself, 83.

463
00:31:11,008 --> 00:31:12,088
Are you?And she is 82.

464
00:31:19,028 --> 00:31:23,016
How do you feel now,
coming back to this house?

465
00:31:23,016 --> 00:31:28,016
I'm really happy to see this
somewhat eccentric-looking thing

466
00:31:28,016 --> 00:31:30,012
being loved by a lot of people.

467
00:31:30,012 --> 00:31:32,004
Like, that just amazes me.

468
00:31:32,004 --> 00:31:34,068
And I almost feel like I didn't...

469
00:31:34,068 --> 00:31:36,044
I didn't screw it up.

470
00:31:37,056 --> 00:31:40,096
MUSIC PLAYS

471
00:31:43,028 --> 00:31:46,040
How do you say, "It's a beautiful
building," in Japanese?

472
00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:48,080
Kireina Tatemono.

473
00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,024
Kire... Kire.Kire.

474
00:31:51,024 --> 00:31:53,056
Kireina... Tatemono.Tatemono.

475
00:31:59,056 --> 00:32:02,044
I love not quite knowing whether
I'm sitting in someone's house,

476
00:32:02,044 --> 00:32:03,096
or whether I'm sitting in a cafe.

477
00:32:03,096 --> 00:32:07,092
And yet everybody's
entirely comfortable here.

478
00:32:07,092 --> 00:32:10,032
And the stuff of this room is
so beautiful.

479
00:32:10,032 --> 00:32:14,052
The surfaces, the materials, this
white ceramic on this rough
concrete.

480
00:32:14,052 --> 00:32:19,016
But also the space itself, this
beautiful conical structure that

481
00:32:19,016 --> 00:32:20,040
floats above us.

482
00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:23,036
Acoustically, it's perfect.

483
00:32:23,036 --> 00:32:27,080
You just hear that kind of little
twitter of people laughing and

484
00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,008
talking and discussing things and
enjoying their meal.

485
00:32:32,020 --> 00:32:35,068
I think this could be a new model
which shows us that the world of the

486
00:32:35,068 --> 00:32:37,032
domestic, that we're familiar with,

487
00:32:37,032 --> 00:32:39,052
is something we need to keep with us
as we get older.

488
00:32:39,052 --> 00:32:42,096
The reason people feel at home here
is that this is like their home.

489
00:32:42,096 --> 00:32:46,028
Certainly, as I get older, I would
love it if I felt I had an

490
00:32:46,028 --> 00:32:51,076
environment to go into like this,
where there was a dignity and
a beauty.

491
00:32:51,076 --> 00:32:53,068
We should all aim for that, I think,

492
00:32:53,068 --> 00:32:55,092
and also get people to walk up very
steep hills,

493
00:32:55,092 --> 00:32:58,092
because it keeps you young. It's a
model for the future.

494
00:32:58,092 --> 00:33:01,040
I'll drink to that.Nice tea.

495
00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:04,028
We do like our tea, don't we?We do.

496
00:33:08,088 --> 00:33:13,076
A decent cup of tea with a chum is
always a recipe for happiness.

497
00:33:13,076 --> 00:33:17,012
And with the added ingredient of
enchanting architecture,

498
00:33:17,012 --> 00:33:19,072
this story is destined for a happy
ending.

499
00:33:23,088 --> 00:33:26,012
It's like something from a fairy
tale.

500
00:33:26,012 --> 00:33:28,084
It's also Kireina Tatemono.

501
00:33:28,084 --> 00:33:32,012
Hey, yes, it IS a beautiful house.

502
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,044
We're leaving the countryside.

503
00:33:43,044 --> 00:33:47,016
In a nation where more than nine out
of ten people live in cities,

504
00:33:47,016 --> 00:33:50,040
Japan has a reputation for some of
the most interesting urban

505
00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:52,012
environments in the world.

506
00:33:53,016 --> 00:33:55,056
So we've come west to Hiroshima -

507
00:33:55,056 --> 00:34:00,024
now a thriving modern city that's
reinvented itself since the nuclear

508
00:34:00,024 --> 00:34:02,036
attack in 1945.

509
00:34:09,064 --> 00:34:12,036
It's wonderful the way
they've rebuilt this city, actually,

510
00:34:12,036 --> 00:34:13,092
isn't it?Yeah. And of course,

511
00:34:13,092 --> 00:34:15,088
because it was rebuilt after the
war,

512
00:34:15,088 --> 00:34:17,040
you could set it out on a grid.

513
00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:21,008
Big boulevards,
tight, tall buildings.

514
00:34:23,064 --> 00:34:26,000
Could do with a coffee, actually,
couldn't you?

515
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:27,036
Gagging for a cup of coffee.

516
00:34:27,036 --> 00:34:29,044
I think we have to go
to a vending machine here.

517
00:34:29,044 --> 00:34:30,096
Yes, shall we try a vending machine?

518
00:34:30,096 --> 00:34:32,012
BELL RINGS

519
00:34:32,012 --> 00:34:33,016
Whoa, sorry!

520
00:34:37,032 --> 00:34:41,008
Coffee in a can is a far cry from
the elegant tea ceremony

521
00:34:41,008 --> 00:34:42,028
I was expecting.

522
00:34:43,032 --> 00:34:46,088
Laden down with groceries -
at least Iam, thanks, Piers -

523
00:34:46,088 --> 00:34:50,036
we're negotiating the hectic
streets of Hiroshima in search of an

524
00:34:50,036 --> 00:34:52,000
architectural masterpiece.

525
00:34:53,088 --> 00:34:56,056
Nestling between
two neighbouring blocks,

526
00:34:56,056 --> 00:34:59,008
at first glance
this house is very unassuming.

527
00:35:01,016 --> 00:35:02,076
But, on closer examination,

528
00:35:02,076 --> 00:35:05,064
you can see there's something
really special going on here.

529
00:35:07,044 --> 00:35:11,040
In a way, it's a cross between the
two buildings either side of it,

530
00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:13,012
isn't it?

531
00:35:13,012 --> 00:35:15,072
And isn't it pretty,
like a little cube of black ice?

532
00:35:15,072 --> 00:35:17,028
Very pretty, very pretty.

533
00:35:17,028 --> 00:35:19,008
Very discreet, as well.

534
00:35:20,064 --> 00:35:23,040
But those glazed bricks are a little
bit like the tiles that every

535
00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,076
building seems to be made of
round here.

536
00:35:25,076 --> 00:35:29,000
But that's a much more exciting way
of doing it, isn't it?

537
00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,076
I think we need to go in.OK, cool.

538
00:35:30,076 --> 00:35:33,040
Let's go.No, Piers, no.
There's a crossing.

539
00:35:36,072 --> 00:35:41,076
So, having helped my dear old friend
safely across the road,

540
00:35:41,076 --> 00:35:43,012
at last, peace.

541
00:35:49,020 --> 00:35:51,004
This is like a decompression
chamber.

542
00:35:51,004 --> 00:35:53,040
Yes.Suddenly the city's behind.

543
00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:57,020
Yes, and we're inside a
gold-and-black beautiful container.

544
00:35:57,020 --> 00:35:59,048
MUSIC PLAYS

545
00:36:18,052 --> 00:36:25,044
A moment ago, we were in the middle
of Hiroshima, in the bustling city.

546
00:36:25,044 --> 00:36:26,084
But where are we now?

547
00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:43,048
Here, the architect's challenge is
to create a sanctuary for the family

548
00:36:43,048 --> 00:36:47,092
right here in the heart of dynamic,
high-octane, downtown Hiroshima.

549
00:36:49,064 --> 00:36:52,052
At street level,
behind a full-width garage,

550
00:36:52,052 --> 00:36:55,048
is a self-contained apartment
with sunken courtyard.

551
00:36:55,048 --> 00:36:59,092
The main family space and open-plan
living, dining and kitchen area

552
00:36:59,092 --> 00:37:01,044
are on the first floor.

553
00:37:01,044 --> 00:37:04,028
Bedrooms and bathrooms are up above.

554
00:37:04,028 --> 00:37:08,032
Like many urban terraced houses with
outdoor spaces front and back,

555
00:37:08,032 --> 00:37:11,096
this building has a courtyard at the
rear and an exquisitely planted

556
00:37:11,096 --> 00:37:13,020
garden in the front,

557
00:37:13,020 --> 00:37:17,016
behind a nine-metre-high veil of
handmade glass bricks,

558
00:37:17,016 --> 00:37:20,060
elevating this ordinary inner-city
terrace

559
00:37:20,060 --> 00:37:23,048
into a thing of breathtaking beauty.

560
00:37:23,048 --> 00:37:27,004
These cast glass blocks
are fantastic.

561
00:37:27,004 --> 00:37:32,072
I mean, silvery scale-like bits of
glass that keep the city at bay.

562
00:37:33,076 --> 00:37:35,096
I bet it changes day and night
all the time.

563
00:37:35,096 --> 00:37:38,012
The colours must be amazing.

564
00:37:38,012 --> 00:37:41,088
Sunsets, sunrise,
the traffic at night.

565
00:37:41,088 --> 00:37:45,044
I mean, an ever-changing screen
of glass.

566
00:37:45,044 --> 00:37:48,096
But, from outside, it's quite blank,
it's quite mute.

567
00:37:48,096 --> 00:37:51,092
It doesn't give away its secret
until you come in, at the same time,

568
00:37:51,092 --> 00:37:54,004
so you don't quite know what's
behind here,

569
00:37:54,004 --> 00:37:55,064
if there is anything behind here,

570
00:37:55,064 --> 00:37:57,092
or how different it is
from the buildings either side,

571
00:37:57,092 --> 00:38:00,012
of which this is the love child.

572
00:38:00,012 --> 00:38:01,040
Yes, exactly.

573
00:38:01,040 --> 00:38:03,048
What an exciting love child it is.

574
00:38:14,092 --> 00:38:18,004
This atmosphere is mind-blowing.

575
00:38:18,004 --> 00:38:21,064
I mean, it's kind of
infinitely special.

576
00:38:21,064 --> 00:38:26,032
Everything is very pared back, very
simple, very orthogonal, and yet,

577
00:38:26,032 --> 00:38:28,096
the space feels profound.

578
00:38:30,036 --> 00:38:32,092
I totally agree with you.

579
00:38:32,092 --> 00:38:35,084
It's just, I don't really know
what orthogonal means.

580
00:38:35,084 --> 00:38:38,064
Orthogonal just means
that everything is 90 degrees.

581
00:38:38,064 --> 00:38:42,020
Perpendicular to everything else,
you know, everything is square-on.

582
00:38:43,076 --> 00:38:47,056
It may be orthogonal, Mr Taylor,
but it's also zen.

583
00:38:48,092 --> 00:38:51,048
A tranquil, meditative space.

584
00:38:51,048 --> 00:38:54,060
The perfect place to consider the
beautifully simple

585
00:38:54,060 --> 00:38:56,020
and the simply beautiful.

586
00:38:58,048 --> 00:39:01,068
It's one of the few houses I've been
in that doesn't have a view out,

587
00:39:01,068 --> 00:39:05,028
and yet we don't feel
claustrophobic, do we?

588
00:39:05,028 --> 00:39:09,004
We're sort of held in this reverie
by these two courtyards

589
00:39:09,004 --> 00:39:12,032
and the subtle and clever
manipulation of light.

590
00:39:18,028 --> 00:39:21,072
And through the trees,
through the maples,

591
00:39:21,072 --> 00:39:25,032
that glass screen turned
into an abstract work of art.

592
00:39:25,032 --> 00:39:27,044
It's impossible to tell
what's passing.

593
00:39:27,044 --> 00:39:30,004
One moment, trams and the cars are
storm clouds.

594
00:39:30,004 --> 00:39:33,036
The next moment it could be just
a silver river of light.

595
00:39:33,036 --> 00:39:37,020
There's no way of knowing, actually,
what those things are.

596
00:39:37,020 --> 00:39:38,040
They just become...

597
00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:42,080
Abstracted...abstracted and kind
of beautiful.

598
00:39:50,072 --> 00:39:52,004
All of the living spaces,

599
00:39:52,004 --> 00:39:55,044
including the upstairs bedrooms
that look onto the courtyard below,

600
00:39:55,044 --> 00:39:57,028
are filled with light that filters

601
00:39:57,028 --> 00:39:59,044
through the glass blocks
and the trees.

602
00:40:01,004 --> 00:40:04,036
But there's also natural light
right in the centre of the house.

603
00:40:07,012 --> 00:40:10,024
This is the middle of the house,
which should be the darkest bit,

604
00:40:10,024 --> 00:40:12,068
and it's painted dark grey.

605
00:40:12,068 --> 00:40:15,012
But it's lit from above
by this huge roof light

606
00:40:15,012 --> 00:40:18,096
that brings the light right
the way down through the house.

607
00:40:22,036 --> 00:40:25,028
The architect has also experimented
with skylights,

608
00:40:25,028 --> 00:40:28,012
and this one in the floor of the
courtyard doubles up

609
00:40:28,012 --> 00:40:30,020
as a glass-bottomed pool that

610
00:40:30,020 --> 00:40:32,032
sends dappled light into
the hallway below.

611
00:40:36,004 --> 00:40:37,040
At the front of the house,

612
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:39,004
where the big, important spaces

613
00:40:39,004 --> 00:40:41,036
look onto those
big, important courtyards,

614
00:40:41,036 --> 00:40:44,056
at the back,
these small, intimate spaces

615
00:40:44,056 --> 00:40:47,060
look onto small,
intimate courtyards.

616
00:40:48,084 --> 00:40:51,024
In a place where land is in
short supply,

617
00:40:51,024 --> 00:40:54,020
giving up valuable living space
to create gardens

618
00:40:54,020 --> 00:40:55,092
may seem like an indulgence.

619
00:40:55,092 --> 00:40:59,060
But here in the city,
the hot summers are even hotter,

620
00:40:59,060 --> 00:41:04,040
so the value of a garden like this
is really something quite special.

621
00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:08,000
And then, this curtain replaces what
would have been a wind chime and

622
00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:10,028
tells you that the breeze is coming.

623
00:41:15,056 --> 00:41:18,064
The courtyard at the front
is beautiful.

624
00:41:18,064 --> 00:41:22,052
But the three outdoor spaces
at the back of the house
play a crucial role

625
00:41:22,052 --> 00:41:25,088
of introducing light and nature
into the other areas.

626
00:41:28,044 --> 00:41:30,016
Ah, there you are.

627
00:41:32,024 --> 00:41:35,040
Hello.Hello. Have you brought me
some food?

628
00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:38,036
I have! I'll have that in a minute.
What are you up to, darling?

629
00:41:38,036 --> 00:41:41,024
Well, I've just been wondering about
how this house works,

630
00:41:41,024 --> 00:41:43,028
because, at the front of this house

631
00:41:43,028 --> 00:41:45,048
are all the big, grand
living spaces,

632
00:41:45,048 --> 00:41:48,060
but at the back, all around here,

633
00:41:48,060 --> 00:41:51,040
are all these little, intimate
spaces.

634
00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:52,096
And they look into this courtyard

635
00:41:52,096 --> 00:41:56,056
and they have a very different
quality than the big, grand spaces

636
00:41:56,056 --> 00:41:58,004
that exist out the front.

637
00:41:58,004 --> 00:42:03,012
And the Japanese, it strikes me, are
absolutely brilliant at the edit.

638
00:42:03,012 --> 00:42:06,052
They seem to edit life
so beautifully.

639
00:42:06,052 --> 00:42:08,060
They take away the extraneous

640
00:42:08,060 --> 00:42:11,048
and they leave you with what
is beautiful,

641
00:42:11,048 --> 00:42:15,020
and I think it is a sensibility
that I'm just so enjoying.

642
00:42:15,020 --> 00:42:18,052
And this house seems to be
a prime example of that.

643
00:42:18,052 --> 00:42:21,000
I don't know what sauce that is,
darling, I couldn't read it.

644
00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:22,080
It might have chilli in it, I think.

645
00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:25,092
Hope so.Oh, no,
it's a little sprinkly thing.

646
00:42:25,092 --> 00:42:28,072
I think it is raw chilli.
Mm, you'll enjoy that.

647
00:42:30,012 --> 00:42:33,084
Paring ideas down to bare essentials
may seem simple,

648
00:42:33,084 --> 00:42:36,088
but the architect took
a huge risk here.

649
00:42:36,088 --> 00:42:41,000
There was no real way of knowing
how the 6,000 bespoke bricks

650
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:43,012
would work as an entire wall.

651
00:42:45,060 --> 00:42:49,028
This is a beautiful piece of glass
by anyone's standards,

652
00:42:49,028 --> 00:42:52,080
but it's made from borosilicate,
which is optical glass,

653
00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:57,092
and that means it has exceptionally
high levels of transparency.

654
00:42:57,092 --> 00:43:00,052
And it just sings with light.

655
00:43:03,008 --> 00:43:08,072
The architect for this 13-tonne wall
was Hiroshi Nakamura.

656
00:43:08,072 --> 00:43:11,028
He is well-known
for some lauded buildings,

657
00:43:11,028 --> 00:43:13,040
including chapels and cemeteries,

658
00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:17,016
where a sense of reflection and
contemplation is paramount.

659
00:43:19,088 --> 00:43:22,032
There is a curious translation here

660
00:43:22,032 --> 00:43:25,088
of things that many people
would consider to be ugly -

661
00:43:25,088 --> 00:43:29,044
you know, passing cars,
traffic, buses, trams -

662
00:43:29,044 --> 00:43:32,024
into things of sublime beauty.

663
00:43:58,088 --> 00:44:03,052
But it's also a real shrine
to beauty and silence.

664
00:44:35,028 --> 00:44:38,076
There's also an atmosphere
within here

665
00:44:38,076 --> 00:44:41,088
that is very rich and interesting,

666
00:44:41,088 --> 00:44:45,084
in that a lot of the textures
and tones are quite dark.

667
00:45:05,004 --> 00:45:08,080
This profound serenity would be
remarkable anywhere,

668
00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:13,032
but to find it amidst the frantic
bustle of 21st-century city life,

669
00:45:13,032 --> 00:45:17,032
just beyond the front door, makes
this an extraordinary home.

670
00:45:22,076 --> 00:45:25,060
Oh, gosh. It's chilly and dark.

671
00:45:37,092 --> 00:45:41,020
Our final destination is on Etajima,

672
00:45:41,020 --> 00:45:43,088
one of Japan's 7,000 islands,

673
00:45:43,088 --> 00:45:48,004
with its stunning coastline of coves
and secluded marinas that surround

674
00:45:48,004 --> 00:45:50,004
the inland sea.

675
00:45:50,004 --> 00:45:52,000
This is so pretty.

676
00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:59,000
It's always important to maintain
standards and travel in style.

677
00:46:01,020 --> 00:46:03,040
I love it when they pick us up
by boat.

678
00:46:03,040 --> 00:46:05,044
Especially a speedboat.Yeah.

679
00:46:09,040 --> 00:46:11,064
Hang on. That's a hot tub.

680
00:46:11,064 --> 00:46:13,040
I think you brought the wrong boat!

681
00:46:14,072 --> 00:46:17,004
Hello, are you for Piers
and Caroline?

682
00:46:17,004 --> 00:46:19,056
Hello.Piers and Caroline?
Gosh, this is...

683
00:46:19,056 --> 00:46:22,060
It's not at all what...
Not quite what we were expecting.

684
00:46:22,060 --> 00:46:24,024
No. I'm quite... Thank you.

685
00:46:26,024 --> 00:46:29,036
# Rock the boat
Don't rock the boat, baby... #

686
00:46:29,036 --> 00:46:31,040
I hope no-one sees us on this.

687
00:46:31,040 --> 00:46:34,088
OK, it's not what we're used to,
but fortunately

688
00:46:34,088 --> 00:46:36,096
our destination is moments away.

689
00:46:41,080 --> 00:46:45,020
Proud boat- and home-owner
Mr Haragami is there to meet us.

690
00:46:45,020 --> 00:46:47,004
Konnichiwa, Mr Haragami.

691
00:46:47,004 --> 00:46:50,056
If the floating paddling pool is
anything to go by...

692
00:46:50,056 --> 00:46:52,024
Oh, I've got all wobbly.

693
00:46:52,024 --> 00:46:53,072
I've lost my sea legs!

694
00:46:53,072 --> 00:46:56,064
..this place is going to be
more than a little eccentric.

695
00:47:00,028 --> 00:47:03,056
Glasshouse For A Diver
is a diamond in the rough.

696
00:47:03,056 --> 00:47:06,004
Concrete cubes surround a
sophisticated home,

697
00:47:06,004 --> 00:47:07,072
made almost entirely of glass.

698
00:47:07,072 --> 00:47:11,012
On this exquisite stretch of coast,

699
00:47:11,012 --> 00:47:14,052
it makes the most of the
wonderful ocean views.

700
00:47:14,052 --> 00:47:18,032
Mr Haragami has let us discover
the place for ourselves.

701
00:47:18,032 --> 00:47:21,092
The first thing I notice
is a load of old blocks.

702
00:47:21,092 --> 00:47:24,048
I said "blocks".

703
00:47:24,048 --> 00:47:27,028
They look like they've just left
on a building site, don't they?

704
00:47:27,028 --> 00:47:31,052
But they also have the quality of
an ancient, prehistoric landscape.

705
00:47:31,052 --> 00:47:34,008
This is like Stonehenge
or something.

706
00:47:34,008 --> 00:47:37,008
This is quite ugly. It's just like
a pile of old concrete, really,

707
00:47:37,008 --> 00:47:38,044
on the outside.

708
00:47:38,044 --> 00:47:41,084
I think architecture suffers from
being the arts that everybody

709
00:47:41,084 --> 00:47:44,012
expects to always be good-looking.

710
00:47:44,012 --> 00:47:46,064
It's like saying all plays should be
happy,

711
00:47:46,064 --> 00:47:49,016
rather than vehicles
to explore feelings.

712
00:47:49,016 --> 00:47:52,016
And this is a story about
a coastal landscape.

713
00:47:52,016 --> 00:47:55,040
It's telling us a story that doesn't
need to be good-looking in

714
00:47:55,040 --> 00:47:58,084
a straightforward way. I think,
actually, in its ugliness,

715
00:47:58,084 --> 00:48:00,008
this is a beautiful building.

716
00:48:02,024 --> 00:48:04,080
Perhaps not attractive in
themselves,

717
00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:07,012
these blocks hide an inner beauty.

718
00:48:09,084 --> 00:48:13,068
Look, I've found an entirely
different perspective on this house.

719
00:48:13,068 --> 00:48:17,052
I mean, this is tough weeds
growing up against it.

720
00:48:17,052 --> 00:48:19,000
But inside...

721
00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:22,008
Is a Fifth Avenue,
New York apartment.

722
00:48:22,008 --> 00:48:23,092
It's hilarious.

723
00:48:23,092 --> 00:48:26,076
Also, it is a New York apartment

724
00:48:26,076 --> 00:48:30,064
with the most spectacular view
of the sea.

725
00:48:35,004 --> 00:48:37,020
Besides having a great outlook,

726
00:48:37,020 --> 00:48:40,056
what makes this house really special
is the contrast between the two

727
00:48:40,056 --> 00:48:44,052
extremes of the delicate
light-filled glassy interior...

728
00:48:46,012 --> 00:48:50,004
..and the rough and heavy industrial
concrete that is used externally.

729
00:48:58,008 --> 00:49:02,044
The owner wanted a view of the water
from every room in the house.

730
00:49:02,044 --> 00:49:04,040
Quite an architectural challenge.

731
00:49:05,048 --> 00:49:10,004
Glasshouse For A Diver is a jigsaw
of four glass rooms.

732
00:49:11,084 --> 00:49:15,068
There's a kitchen-diner,
a large living room,

733
00:49:15,068 --> 00:49:20,068
a unique tearoom that doubles as
a bedroom, and a detached bathroom.

734
00:49:21,064 --> 00:49:25,084
The entire house is enclosed in
the shell of seemingly random

735
00:49:25,084 --> 00:49:29,068
concrete blocks that provide privacy
and hold up the roof.

736
00:49:31,020 --> 00:49:34,048
And there it is -
a beautiful little glass box

737
00:49:34,048 --> 00:49:37,044
inside a not-so-beautiful
concrete box.

738
00:49:37,044 --> 00:49:39,024
I think this is a thoroughfare.

739
00:49:39,024 --> 00:49:41,076
You can imagine in summertime,
this is really sociable.

740
00:49:41,076 --> 00:49:44,048
Your friends and neighbours will be
popping up and down.

741
00:49:44,048 --> 00:49:48,020
You'd be there having
whatever you'd have at sundown.

742
00:49:48,020 --> 00:49:53,072
Gin and tonic. I like it because
it's not big, but it is clever.

743
00:49:59,092 --> 00:50:01,096
When you said this was a sociable
house

744
00:50:01,096 --> 00:50:05,068
and that that was a thoroughfare,
I didn't know quite what that meant.

745
00:50:05,068 --> 00:50:06,096
A loo with a view.

746
00:50:09,052 --> 00:50:12,044
This house makes the most
of the views of the ocean

747
00:50:12,044 --> 00:50:15,056
and feels expansive,
despite being relatively small.

748
00:50:17,076 --> 00:50:20,064
It's just
the size of a modest apartment.

749
00:50:22,020 --> 00:50:26,040
There is a real archetype in
coastal houses of the beach shack,

750
00:50:26,040 --> 00:50:28,080
and they're really hard things
to do, because, usually,

751
00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:31,092
they're thrown together
in an informal way, impromptu way,

752
00:50:31,092 --> 00:50:34,068
and they're adapted over years.

753
00:50:34,068 --> 00:50:38,028
And this really does feel
like a 21st-century beach shack.

754
00:50:40,064 --> 00:50:42,092
Quite a smart beach shack.

755
00:50:42,092 --> 00:50:46,020
Polished marble floors,
Italian designer furniture.

756
00:50:46,020 --> 00:50:48,028
It does have an outside loo,
I suppose.

757
00:50:49,044 --> 00:50:52,052
But, for all its modernity
and European influences,

758
00:50:52,052 --> 00:50:55,052
it does have the simplicity
of a fishing hut.

759
00:50:57,040 --> 00:51:00,064
Although this is just
a simple beach house,

760
00:51:00,064 --> 00:51:04,024
it's very sophisticated
and very Japanese.

761
00:51:04,024 --> 00:51:08,040
All these spaces, although
they're very simple glass boxes,

762
00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:13,008
are separated from each other in the
way that the Japanese traditional

763
00:51:13,008 --> 00:51:17,096
house would be separated
by the use of paper screens.

764
00:51:17,096 --> 00:51:22,028
And I like the fact that it nods
to its past and yet it's very much

765
00:51:22,028 --> 00:51:23,056
a contemporary building.

766
00:51:27,088 --> 00:51:30,068
In addition to providing
fantastic views,

767
00:51:30,068 --> 00:51:32,056
the glass allows you to appreciate

768
00:51:32,056 --> 00:51:36,036
all of the constructional details
which are displayed in an almost

769
00:51:36,036 --> 00:51:38,020
decorative and elemental way.

770
00:51:41,004 --> 00:51:45,016
This is a house where
all of the spaces are separated,

771
00:51:45,016 --> 00:51:49,072
but the construction is also
pulled apart, defined,

772
00:51:49,072 --> 00:51:53,088
and it is, in itself, a lesson
in the elements of construction.

773
00:51:53,088 --> 00:51:57,040
You can read what's in compression,
you can read what's in tension,

774
00:51:57,040 --> 00:51:59,048
you can read which bits span,

775
00:51:59,048 --> 00:52:02,024
and you can also read
what keeps the weather out.

776
00:52:02,024 --> 00:52:05,072
That's really unusual in a little
house like this.

777
00:52:09,020 --> 00:52:13,084
The lightweight aluminium roof spans
12 metres from one concrete wall

778
00:52:13,084 --> 00:52:15,064
to the other.

779
00:52:15,064 --> 00:52:19,068
The long supporting steel beams mean
there's no need to have supporting

780
00:52:19,068 --> 00:52:23,052
columns internally, allowing
clear expanses of glazing.

781
00:52:26,072 --> 00:52:29,016
As we've discovered on our journey,

782
00:52:29,016 --> 00:52:33,072
the Japanese use great skill
mixing modernity with tradition.

783
00:52:35,096 --> 00:52:40,052
Now, this is a bit of an unexpected
treat in this very modern house

784
00:52:40,052 --> 00:52:43,032
to find this - a tatami room.

785
00:52:43,032 --> 00:52:48,004
So, here we've got the shoji screen,
which is made of paper,

786
00:52:48,004 --> 00:52:51,040
and the wonderful quality of the
light through these screens

787
00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:53,036
is completely beguiling,

788
00:52:53,036 --> 00:52:55,052
but of course, in this house,

789
00:52:55,052 --> 00:53:01,028
it's a bit unusual, because they
open up to reveal lumps of concrete.

790
00:53:02,040 --> 00:53:06,060
So again, it's the juxtaposition
of the traditional Japanese,

791
00:53:06,060 --> 00:53:09,036
the golden glow of the tatami,

792
00:53:09,036 --> 00:53:13,064
against the grey austerity
of the modern concrete.

793
00:53:14,088 --> 00:53:17,088
The blocks do much more than hold up
the roof.

794
00:53:17,088 --> 00:53:21,088
They prevent this home from being
one big goldfish bowl.

795
00:53:21,088 --> 00:53:26,020
Inside, rooms are screened off from
each other in different ways.

796
00:53:26,020 --> 00:53:28,056
It's not all shoji screens.

797
00:53:28,056 --> 00:53:30,056
So that's how you get some privacy.

798
00:53:32,052 --> 00:53:35,020
And for one's more private moments,

799
00:53:35,020 --> 00:53:37,044
the glass bathroom is opaque.

800
00:53:37,044 --> 00:53:39,036
It's almost private.

801
00:53:39,036 --> 00:53:41,072
There is nothing we don't know
about each other.

802
00:53:50,048 --> 00:53:52,088
There have been
some brave choices here.

803
00:53:54,064 --> 00:53:59,080
Owner Mr Haragami came here nearly
40 years ago, when he married.

804
00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:01,056
He loved the place so much,

805
00:54:01,056 --> 00:54:05,084
he built his company of commercial
divers here and he's spent his life

806
00:54:05,084 --> 00:54:07,068
working the sea ever since.

807
00:54:20,004 --> 00:54:22,032
Is it true that you like
Ernest Hemingway?

808
00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:39,004
Mr Haragami is retired,

809
00:54:39,004 --> 00:54:42,072
but building a new home here is a
way to continue his love affair

810
00:54:42,072 --> 00:54:44,032
with the sea.

811
00:54:44,032 --> 00:54:46,084
What did you ask your architect for,

812
00:54:46,084 --> 00:54:49,032
what sort of house did you say
you wanted?

813
00:54:56,044 --> 00:54:57,072
That's very trusting.

814
00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:04,040
The architect who was given this
free rein was Tetsuya Nakazono.

815
00:55:16,044 --> 00:55:21,012
And so, what did Mr Haragami make
of his ants' nest?

816
00:55:32,072 --> 00:55:34,072
Wow, that's like the perfect client.

817
00:55:41,060 --> 00:55:46,000
Mr Haragami's confidence and trust
in his architect was important

818
00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:49,040
and it meant that he was open
to using different materials

819
00:55:49,040 --> 00:55:50,092
in an unusual way.

820
00:55:50,092 --> 00:55:54,032
Even using blocks of waste concrete
from a nearby cement factory.

821
00:56:36,052 --> 00:56:40,048
Once the fundamental principles of
the project were resolved,

822
00:56:40,048 --> 00:56:43,064
there was the challenge of getting
all of the materials to site.

823
00:57:21,092 --> 00:57:25,036
This home is an imaginative
combination of materials

824
00:57:25,036 --> 00:57:27,008
and building techniques.

825
00:57:27,008 --> 00:57:30,088
But it's only been made possible
by an even more extraordinary

826
00:57:30,088 --> 00:57:36,032
combination of visionary architect
and open-minded, ingenious client.

827
00:57:38,012 --> 00:57:40,076
For a simple beach hut,

828
00:57:40,076 --> 00:57:44,056
this is a very sophisticated piece
of architecture.

829
00:57:44,056 --> 00:57:50,044
I love the way the beautiful
glass box is surrounded by

830
00:57:50,044 --> 00:57:52,044
the shambolic blocks of concrete.

831
00:57:52,044 --> 00:57:55,072
On top of which sits either
a bit of shantytown,

832
00:57:55,072 --> 00:57:58,076
or the most perfect lesson in
construction that I've ever seen.

833
00:58:00,008 --> 00:58:03,060
Japan has shown us that there's such
a confidence in their architects,

834
00:58:03,060 --> 00:58:05,092
who are trusted and empowered
to deliver

835
00:58:05,092 --> 00:58:07,084
really experimental buildings.

836
00:58:09,028 --> 00:58:10,080
I didn't expect, I don't think,

837
00:58:10,080 --> 00:58:15,072
to find such an unconventional group
of houses in a place that we do

838
00:58:15,072 --> 00:58:19,044
associate so much
with ancient tradition.

839
00:58:19,044 --> 00:58:22,048
It's a bit anarchic, really,
and I didn't anticipate that.

840
00:58:22,048 --> 00:58:26,060
I think what's really surprised me
has been how human these houses
have been.

841
00:58:26,060 --> 00:58:30,056
I mean, they've been so warm,
so witty, so welcoming.

842
00:58:30,056 --> 00:58:32,068
It's been good, hasn't it?
It's been great.