Sprout by Studio Archi Farm

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Ken Minata and Ie Onda of Studio Archi Farm recently completed their latest project; a residential home on an agricultural farm. Since their founding in 2006, the architects have completed several projects but Sprout is arguably the cornerstone of their portfolio, combining actual practice with their philosophy, which states that architecture – much like farming – is intended to form and cultivate the bond between people and land.

The primary task facing the architects was how to resolve the dilemma of merging environmental lushness with the realities of modern-day farming, which required gravel paths and many (8 to be exact) large industrial vehicles to be parked outside the house.

Their first solution was to visually separate the vehicles from the living environment by creating a primary lawn on top of the roof that housed the vehicles. The living space was then designed around this space.

Their second solution was to restore the relationship with nature by integrating well water into the design. Well water gets pumped up to the roof, acting as a cooling mechanism, as well as a sprinkler for the turf on the roof. Lovely!