HAUS IN FUKAKUSANAKANOSHIMACHO

The entrance lies over twenty meters down a narrow alley off a busy road, while the building fills the site and opens directly onto a small public park at the rear. Surrounded by an elementary school and a nursery, the park hosts daily life—from elderly morning exercises to children at play—which naturally flows into the house. Rather than closing the house off from the park, we created a gentle intermediate zone between them. Some park users have even asked if the building is a children’s center—an impression of openness that reflects our intention.

Although it is the rear of the house, the park side opens outward like a small mise-no-ma. Moving from the entrance toward the park, the space gently unfolds until the park begins to feel like part of the garden. The workspace forms a soft buffer—like a layer of air—creating a natural flow from both sides. Responding to the park’s sculptural playground elements, the counter, columns, and built-in kitchen are unified in plaster, composing a quiet, continuous landscape.

The LDK of this house was originally a dark space with no windows at all. Although it is still not a location where large openings can be created, light is now drawn in through the entrance and pantry, while small windows are carefully inserted between neighboring buildings. In addition, a large skylight was installed above the stairwell, allowing soft light to filter down to the first floor as it reflects off the milky acrylic flooring and the walls finished with Kurotani washi paper.

While client work often discourages risk, this house is our own. Designed to remain livable while allowing room for minor regret, it serves as both a sample showroom and a laboratory for exploration. Floors of cement board and milky acrylic, walls and ceilings of flexible board and Kurotani washi, steel handrails and ladders, and brass fixtures define the space. Opening the skylight sets the mobiles slowly in motion as warm air rises, bringing a quiet sense of movement to the interior.

The east-facing second floor, finished in shina plywood, softly diffuses the morning light, while aged joinery, a teak standing mirror, and European antique lighting create a gentle contrast within the pale interior. On the west-facing second floor, lauan plywood moderates the strong afternoon sun; the bay window frames the landscape like a small picture, and folding lauan shutters replace curtains, balancing light control and design. Light and materials give each space a distinct character.