The design of the open-air bath, garden, and attached hut.
I designed an open-air bath in a corner of the château that originated from a medieval castle in a small town in Burgundy, France. The main house, the chateau, is an accommodation facility, and the planned site is next to the attached indoor pool building.
In the design, the task was to block the view from the outside and at the same time allow users to enjoy the outside scenery because a corner of the site is located in a large lawn space. For this reason, I decided on the orientation and height of the garden, planting and bathtub. I also tried to keep the size as modest as possible to harmonize with other buildings. The bathtub has an unequal pentagonal shape with steps on three sides, so that you can enjoy different scenery in the bathtub depending on the sitting position. One side is a stone frame with a hot water waterfall, and the other side is an overflow part and is open in the direction of the garden. In this way, while providing shielding from the outside, we can enjoy a different view from the inside.
As with Japanese-style gardens, rock baths are not common in France, so I explained the structure of the waterfall and overflow part to local collaborators and builders using sketches in accordance with the method of creating a highly insulated pool. For the stone assembly, I tested the candidate stones of Chamonix granite natural stone on site, and had them make drawings and sketches on the spot and assemble it. Despite limited site visits because of the remote location, thanks to the wonderful client and reliable collaborator, the open-air bath was completed under the Burgundy landscape and sky.

Schematic Design:

Satoshi Kojima

Design and Supervision Collaborator:

Pierre Raynaud

Design:

2013/11- 2016/6

Construction:

2016/9 - 2017/2