We Found the Perfect Retreat for a Relaxing Weekend in the Mountains

It’s refreshing to get rid of the old and bring in the new. Whether it’s simply packing away your winter coats or chucking entire bags of old shoes out, spring is a reminder that keeping a clutter-free life is essential. 

02_YA House Kubota Architect Atelier

Now, let me impart some time-honoured art school knowledge with you. The Japanese have an aesthetic and lifestyle concept called “Ma”. Western minimalism is constricted to physical space and form, whereas Ma is all-encompassing: it views emptiness as full of possibilities. And while the minds at Kubota Archtitect Atelier may not have directly correlated their crisp-looking YA House to Ma, one can’t deny the inspiration behind it. 

03_YA House Kubota Architect Atelier

This abstract home is formed by six giant slices of concrete, creating an infinite perspective. 

04_YA House Kubota Architect Atelier

One side of the concrete it painted in a blinding white and the other side is left bare, for reasons the architects cryptically describe as “materiality and massiveness is lost and only the meaning as surface remains.”

05_YA House Kubota Architect Atelier

Located in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture, three of the four floors in-between the two vertical slabs of concrete cut into the mountainside, though the top level is exposed, allowing for an expansive and wondrous scenery.

06_YA House Kubota Architect Atelier

A modernized tatami room (a space which demands certain etiquette) solidifies the presence of MA in this design — serenity through structure and simplicity is something we ought to begin adopting here in the West.

07_YA House Kubota Architect Atelier

08_YA House Kubota Architect Atelier

09_YA House Kubota Architect Atelier

Images: Kubota Architect Atelier