Large eaves and a metal-mesh canopy that will eventually be covered with plants help to shade the interiors of this concrete house on Japan's Okinawa Island.

Osaka-based studio Ryuichi Ashizawa Architects designed the house called Ma of Wind for a plot in a residential area southwest of the 14th-century Shuri Castle, on the island in the East China Sea.
The building is a contemporary take on vernacular Okinawa architecture, which the studio said is "characterised by a respect towards the natural environment, and maintaining harmony between man and nature."

The design employs a variety of traditional methods to create a comfortable living environment that responds to the climatic conditions of the site.
"Sun, wind, water, and the unique climatic features of Okinawa Island together modelled the design as a space exposed to the prevailing winds, looking to south and north for enhancing natural ventilation," said the architects.
The building features a reinforced-concrete shell that provides the necessary protection from the typhoons that regularly impact the island.
A floorplan that reinterprets the layout of traditional homes incorporates an open-plan living area and kitchen at the centre, which is flanked by sheltered terraces.
The living spaces and a perpendicular guest wing are lined with sliding or folding glass doors that can be retracted to open up the rooms to the outdoors.

To achieve a comfortable environment inside the house, the architects n...