Leibal — Warehouse Villa in Isumi

Warehouse Villa in Isumi is a minimalist house located in Chiba, Japan, designed by Arii Irie Architects. The client sought a sizable storage space for inherited furniture and kitchen equipment, while simultaneously aspiring to create a vacation home for family and friends. Located in Isumi, on the eastern fringe of the Boso Peninsula overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the site is nestled within a sparsely populated, half-farm, half-residential region. The area is renowned for its invigorating ocean breezes that provide a natural respite from the hotter climes of nearby Tokyo, and the region’s lush vegetation that provides natural barriers against the gusty sea winds. The requested storage facility was to house items that were not overly sensitive to variations in temperature or humidity, necessitating the creation of a basic shelter resistant to wind and rain. The underlying architectural concept aimed to amplify this primitive shelter as much as feasible, creating a structure entirely defined by its exterior shell. This shell comprises a 0.5-millimeter-thick corrugated metal sheet and a corrugated polycarbonate layer with the same profile. In an eco-friendly approach, the architects refrained from using glass or manufactured sashes. Instead, all windows and doors were tailor-made, in conjunction with vast sliding doors and horizontally and vertically pivoting doors designed to enhance natural light penetration. As part of this distinct design, mosquito net curtains with Velcro fasteners were incorporated, which can be easily closed. In this expansive shell, additional structures, such as a tent or an auxiliary shed, can be erected if needed.