Oruri: A Respite from the Elements in Hirafu’s Escarpment Estate

The owner of Oruri remembers lying on the cool concrete balcony of his childhood home in Malaysia, gazing up at the night sky or at clouds during the day.

A world away from the humidity of Southeast Asia, concrete again provides him with respite from the elements in southern Hokkaido.

“My childhood experience probably provided a subconscious inclination towards concrete as a building material,” he says.

“Hokkaido’s winter is hauntingly beautiful but it’s also a really harsh environment. Concrete is a strong material signifying strength, akin to primitive man staying in a cave. I feel protected living inside a concrete house while enjoying the beauty of the nature on the outside.”

While he uses air-conditioning 24 hours a day in Singapore, he says Oruri remains cool in Hokkaido’s mild summers, and warm enough in winter so he doesn’t need to rug up.

Oruri is located within The Escarpment, a 25-lot master planned community on the edge of Hirafu Village developed by Hokkaido Tracks. As well as being slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the village, the Escarpment offers uninterrupted views of Mt Yōtei and the rolling hills and farmland beyond the village boundaries.

It’s these views and the way the Florian Busch-designed house captures them as the seasons change that the owner likes most about the house. Busch attributes this to the staggered, building block design.

“Where the topography shifted and slid vertically creating the escarpment with its stunning views, the L-House (as it was originally named) is split and shifted horizontally – a simple gesture that opens up space and views as the building seems to move up the slope.”