Newly Built Energy-Efficient Home in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture
This newly constructed single-family house in the Kogaya area of Kamioka Town, Hida City, represents the first model of Mizoguchi Architecture's low-energy-consumption 200mm insulation home. The property is situated in a location surrounded by mountains to the east, south, and west, which limits winter sunlight. Consequently, the planning intentionally moderated the window-to-wall ratio on the south-facing side to optimize thermal performance.
The construction features exceptional insulation specifications to achieve a remarkable UA value of 0.3, significantly exceeding the local building standard of 0.75. The ceiling uses 300mm of blown rock wool, the walls are fitted with high-performance 16K glass wool at 210mm thickness, and the foundation is insulated with 100mm Styrofoam AT. For the window openings, YKK AP's APW430 double Low-E triple-pane glass windows are primarily used. Given the heavy snowfall in the region, the roof is built as a snow-shedding type using fluororesin-coated galvanized steel sheets.
Inside, the home boasts high-quality finishes and thoughtful design. The living room features a spacious two-story ceiling. The balcony area is clad with water-resistant Western Red Cedar. The kitchen's hanging cabinets are custom-built from solid wood. A unique mosaic TV wall board was crafted from various materials, with ample storage drawers installed beneath it. The ceiling in another area showcases a slatted design using Japanese cedar. A reinforced glass panel is used for the lower wall section. For heating, a single 10-tatami mat sized underfloor air conditioning unit provides whole-house warmth.
The property is located in the scenic Kamioka region of Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, an area renowned for its traditional craftsmanship and stunning natural landscapes. An interesting local fact is that Kamioka is home to the world-famous Super-Kamiokande neutrino observatory, a massive underground research facility crucial to particle physics. The closest major tourist attraction is the historic Hida Folk Village (Hida no Sato) in nearby Takayama, an open-air museum of traditional thatched-roof houses from the region.
