Hasta La Ideas

An indoor courtyard with an earth floor and central tree is concealed behind the concrete walls of this bulky house in Hiroshima by Japanese studio Suppose Design Office (+ slideshow).

Located beside a canal, House in Yagi was designed by Suppose Design Office to deliberately look unfinished, so its concrete walls were left exposed both inside and outside.

“Unlike other projects, the final stage of construction for this house was not aiming towards a finish stage, but to let the owner experience the sense of completion after living here,” said the architects.

Living, dining and sleeping areas are all located in the uppermost section of the house, freeing up the ground floor to accommodate the double-height courtyard.

Square windows of different sizes surround this space, but were left without glazing to allow wind and rain to enter the building.

“All these elements are to enhance the experience of unlimited lifestyle that you may potentially have in this house, and minimise the boundary,” added the architects.

A concrete staircase folds around one corner, leading up to top-floor living spaces that include a combined dining room and kitchen, a bedroom that can be screened behind a partition, a bathroom and a general storage closet.

A narrow void in the floor plate creates a balcony looking down to the space below, but can be screened behind a folding glass door to prevent draughts.

The house accommodates a growing family of four, so could be adapted in the future to add new rooms.

Suppose Design Office is led by architect Makoto Tanijiri. Past projects by the firm include House in Minamimachi, a residence with offset floors, and House in Kamiosuga, which features walls that only reach halfway down from the ceiling.

Photography is by Toshiyuki Yano.

Here’s a project description from Suppose Design Office:

The House of Yagi

The House of Yagi is designed with the idea of an incomplete/complete form. Unlike other projects, the final stage of construction for this house was not aiming towards a finish stage, but to let the owner experience the sense of completion after living here.

Interior space of the house is designed to maximise the interaction to its surrounding environment. Ground floor material remained the same as the original site, with a single tree standing in the centre to present a natural contrast with the surrounding area. Windows of the 1st storey are kept open without any window shield or glass and creates an interesting interaction with wind and rain.

All these elements are to enhance the experience of unlimited lifestyle that you may potentially have in this house, and minimise the boundary. Through this different interpretation of connecting the exterior and interior space, new ways of living can be explored by the client.

Location: Hiroshima city, Japan
Principal use: personal house
Site area: 155.60 sqm
Building area: 56.24 sqm
Total floor area: 112.48 sqm
(1F: 56.24 sqm 2F: 56.24 sqm)
Completion: June 2012
Design period: April 2011 – January 2011
Construction period: February 2011 – June 2012
Structure: RC structure
Client: a couple and children
Project architect: Makoto Tanijiri [Suppose Design Office] + Ohno Hirohumi [Ohno JAPAN] Lighting: Original
Products: dining table
Flooring: 1F – masa soil, 2F – elm flooring + WAX (mat)
Internal Wall: exposed concrete
Ceiling: exposed concrete
Construction: Shinkou Kensetsu

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This house for a surgeon in Chiba, Japan, by Apollo Architects & Associates contains courtyards with elevated wooden walkways and glass walls behind its thick concrete exterior (+ slideshow).

The residence was designed for a busy street in Yotsukaido City, so Apollo Architects & Associates used chunky slabs of reinforced concrete to create a soundproofed barrier around the interior spaces.

“[The client] requested privacy and quietness for his wife and three children to lead healthy lives,” explain the architects.

The largest of the three courtyards sits beyond a sheltered driveway and contains a grass lawn and a central tree, while the second is positioned past the entrance and accommodates a pebble surface and a small maple tree.

The smallest court is tucked away at the back to offer a small outdoor area for the main bedroom and bathroom.

“The family can enjoy different atmospheres in these courtyards,” say the architects.

Two staircases lead up to the living room and the children’s room on the first floor. One is indoors and built from wood, but the second is a series of concrete treads that rise up from the grassy courtyard.

Wooden balconies overlook the courtyards from above and residents can look into different rooms through glass walls.

The house is named Still and was completed in spring 2012.

Tokyo-based Apollo Architects & Associates is led by Satoshi Kurosaki. The studio has designed a number of houses since launching in 2000, including Lift in Sendai with a pointy overhang and Damier in Tokyo which has a chequered facade. See more houses designed by Apollo Architects & Associates.

Photography is by Masao Nishikawa.

Here’s some more information from Apollo Architects & Associates:

Still

The client acquired the 330 m2 orthogonal property located along the road in pursuit of a space to rest his body and soul exhausted from his work as a surgeon. He requested privacy and quietness for his wife and three children to lead healthy lives. The building is set back from the frontal street where heavy vehicles pass by regularly. Parking space is secured for three cars. Reinforced concrete structure is chosen for its soundproofing ability. The opening is kept to a small horizontal ribbon window to block the noise and automobile emissions.

The client purchased this property sized over 300 m2 for a purpose of creating courtyards with tall symbolic trees. There is a compact court with a maple tree in front of the entrance. Across the central corridor is the main court. And, toward the back of the site is a narrow bathroom court. The family can enjoy different atmospheres in these courtyards.

The master bedroom and bathroom are located in the quiet area far from the street so that the residents can relax while viewing the garden. Each space offers its unique ambience. For example, in the study adjacent to the bedroom, the residents are able to carry out their professional work, or in the Japanese room facing the entrance court, they could relax and enjoy the space while sitting on the floor.

The family space on the second floor is a single space surrounded by full-height glazing. Across the central corridor, the children’s room/study space is located. The space can be separated into individual rooms in the future. The other characteristic of this house is that the residents can experience the circulation space as they cross between inside and outside, thanks to the central corridor and roof balcony connecting the main building and annex. It is the ultimate luxury to lead a slow-paced life and enjoy the changing seasons.

The post Still by Apollo Architects
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Glazed walls slide back to connect the L-shaped living room to a corner courtyard in this Sydney house renovated by local firm Tribe Studio.

The House Eadie project involved removing layers of 1970s DIY modifications from the listed worker’s cottage, while maintaining traces of the home’s layered past like dribbled paint on the stained glass windows and badly laid bricks.

Storage is tucked in wherever possible to accommodate the needs of raising a toddler while allowing space to entertain adults.

Folding wooden shutters screen long rows of high windows upstairs.

Read more about architecture in Australia here and more stories about renovations here.

Photographs are by Katherine Lu.

Here are some more details from the architects:

House Eadie is a heritage listed Federation workers’ cottage in Surry Hills, Sydney. The brief from the client was to create a house that is at once toddler-friendly and also a great house for entertaining adults.

The house was considerably dilapidated and very little heritage fabric had survived DYI renovations in the seventies.

Tribe’s strategy was to reveal the irregularities of the original building fabric, and to honour the interventions over time.

The original decorative brickwork of the front of the house was partially revealed by partially removing layers of paint.

Historic paint dribbles are retained on stained glass windows. Poorly laid bricks are revealed. The house retains the romantic sense that it has been treated roughly by time and that it’s origins are modest. The new elements respond to this heritage.

The material selection is raw and direct. The house is aggressively unpretentious.

The living spaces are rearranged around the existing courtyard, allowing northern light to enter the house. Storage is shoehorned in at every opportunity, including a butler’s pantry, wine storage and a pram garage.

Year: 2011
Project Team: Hannah Tribe, Ricci Bloch
Builder: JLS Construction
Structural Engineer: Damian Hadley – Cantilever Engineers
Area: 143sqm

Materials and Products used:

Klip-lok Lysaght Colorbond
External Walls: Scyon Axon James Hardie and heritage brickwork (paint removed)
Internal Walls: Plasterboard CSR and existing brickwork painted
Window Frames: Victorian Ash
Flooring: Fibro cement sheets CSR with acrylic sealer
Pendant Light: Nelson Bubble Lamp
Kitchen: Limewash plywood with white laminate benchtop and exposed ply edge.
Timber Deck: Blackbutt
Furniture: Great Dane Moller oak table #26, Great Dane oak bedside table, Han Wegner silver/grey plank chair, Eames dining chairs, In Your Room plywood kids stools.

Japanese studio Apollo Architects & Associates have completed a house in Tokyo, Japan, featuring a white rendered volume sitting on top of a concrete base and no exterior windows.

Called Shift, the house has been built around a central courtyard where glazed walls provide views into all of the interior spaces on both floors.

On the ground floor, the living room and kitchen are located on either side of the courtyard.

There are three bedrooms on the first floor, each with their own balcony and little garden.

Also on this floor is a yoga room, bathroom and workroom, all of which have views of the internal courtyard.

Photographs are by Masao Nishikawa.

More residential architecture on Dezeen »

The information that follows is from the architects:

SHIFT

Surrounding the site in the outskirts of Tokyo is lush green and a slow-paced environment. The building was commissioned by a family composed of the husband who manages an insurance company, the wife who works as a patternmaker and their two children. It was planned as a SOHO, with a space for the yoga classes run by the wife added to the house.

The distinguishing exterior consists of a wooden volume covered with a luminescent wall sitting on top of a base made of exposed concrete engrained with the texture of Japanese cedar. In sharp contrast to the exterior that is closed to the outside world, an inner courtyard pierces the center of the structure.

With a hollow center, the house is easy walk around and allows for the presence of family members to be felt from anywhere. The symbolic tree in the courtyard plays a central role in sustaining the equilibrium of the architecture.

On the ground floor, the living room and dining kitchen face each other across the courtyard while a sculptural staircase is positioned across the courtyard from the entrance. The staircase is symbolic in its presence and gives expansiveness to the spaces together with the courtyard.

On the first floor, the multi-purpose room is used for yoga classes and for other activities, while small gardens are positioned around bedrooms providing light and openings.

Incorporating an open-air garden within it, the house makes it possible to fully enjoy the Japanese four seasons. The contrast between the external and the internal will help to keep a fresh mind in everyday life.

Credit Information
Architecture : Satoshi Kurosaki/APOLLO Architects & Associates

Project Outline
Location : Tokyo
Date of Completion : April 2010
Principal Use : Private House
Structure : RC/1F,Wooden/2F
Site Area: 257.54m2

Click for larger image

Total Floor Area : 180.20m2 (99.37m2/1F, 80.83m2/2F)
Design Period : March 2009 – July 2009
Construction Period : October 2009 – April 2010
Structural Engineer : Kenta Masaki
Mechanical Engineer :-

Material Information
Exterior Finish : Exposed concrete/1F, photocatalytic paint/2F
Floor : Flooring
Wall : photocatalytic paint
Ceiling : cloth

See also:

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