House K / Shinta Hamada Architects

Architects: Shinta Hamada Architects
Location: Maebashi, Japan
Structural Design: LOW FAT structure Inc.
Area: 75.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Kenichi Suzuki

Text description provided by the architects. House K is sited in the suburbs of Maebashi city in Japan. There are many similar houses around the site and creating boring landscape. We tried to make small changes to landscape as same as designing inside spaces by making a new context in limited site area.

First, we classified many rooms into “common spaces” and “private spaces”. Then we put “private spaces” on north side of volume and “common spaces” on south side where the surrounding is open. In addition, to connect two different spaces, we arranged “free spaces” in between.

In “private spaces”, we put grandmother’s spaces on the first floor and a young family’s space on the second floor. While keep privacy among families, everyone can also feel each other through “free spaces”.

On the other hand, because there are some voids around the south of house, we designed “common spaces” as very open space to connect outside by making big atrium.

Furthermore, consider the place of near houses and gardens, we bend south half of the building to reduce the cross of sight line and create triangular gardens around. Triangular gardens can make more depth than rectangular one in this case. And it is possible to create the spread of spaces and make site boundary more ambiguous.

“Free spaces” can be used in various ways such as workplace and gallery , support both “common” and “private” spaces. This flexible space can make inhabitants life better.