The lot is very close to a busy road and major intersection in the buslting city of hiroshima, with a constant sound-scape of revving engines and screeching trams. japenese practice hiroshi nakamura & NAP therefore created an acoustically protected tranquil oasis behind a crystal curtain that would still allow views of the city. this buffer space is a beautiful living filter; the impressive glass block facade resting over the wooden garage and entry area conceal behind it a green garden whose trees filter the eastern sunlight and offer a natural haven which all rooms in the program face.the effect is a visually busy exterior environment observed from the silence of the home.
The transparent wall was not an easy task, however, as 6000 glass masonry units at 50 mm wide do not provide the necessary structure to stand on their own. seventy-five threaded metal dowels hang from the pre-tensioned beam above the 8.6 m2 facade to guide the glass bricks into perfectly aligned rows, supported by an embedded flat metal bar (40 mm x 4 mm) spaced at 10 cm intervals to help resist lateral forces. the total construction of the optical wall weighs 13 tons and gives the effect of a waterfall refracting views and light.