Villa Saitan in Nishioji-hachijo, Kyoto is sitting on a 16m x 19m lot size which has proved that the architects, Anna Nakamura and Taiyo Jinno from Eastern Design Office has provides an architecture answer on how to build a low collective housing in a quiet but dense place. The villa itself were inspired by the idea of an “immortal tree”. This is because the villa land was once the site of shihachijo-palace, the residence for the hero of Japanese classical tragedy, Tale of Heike. The tale was at the stage of the rise and fall of a clan in the 12th century, because of that such old and sad memory is cherished and still told among the people of this neighborhood. Therefore, Eastern Design office think collective housing that is built on a place with such historical value should not be of any average apartment house and because of that too, they came out with this Villa Saitan, which does not take vaguely a shape of a tree, but rather an intense and massive form with a hint of movement.
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