© Koji Fujii / Nacasa&Partners
Completed in 2012 by Japanese Architects Takeshi Hosaka, the House in Byoubugaura is a three-story single-family dwelling in a small plot of just 60 m2. Curve wood walls are used to give intimacy while allowing the entrance of natural light in the interiors.
House in Byoubugaura Technical Information
- Architects: Takeshi Hosaka Architects
- Location: Yokohama Kanagawa, Japan
- Topics: Japanese Houses, Concrete
- Structural Engineers: Kenji Nawa
- Area: 90 m2
- Project Year: 2012
- Photographs: © Koji Fujii / Nacasa&Partners
The design sought to pull in an equal amount of light and wind in section to both the basement and the ground level. The slab on each floor was bent near the exterior to give the same window size to each floor.
– Takeshi Hosaka
House in Byoubugaura Photographs
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa&Partners
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa&Partners
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners
© Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners
Text by the Architect
A house with a basement and two floors above ground were planned in a residential area in Yokohama, which is characterized by rolling hills. Existing houses sandwich the 60-square meter site to the south and the north. On the east side, the site faces a 3m-tall retaining wall. In this way, the site at first looked like it was buried by the surroundings.
In response, the design sought to pull in an equal amount of light and wind in section to both the basement and the ground level. Each floor was given the same ceiling height. The slab on each floor was bent near the exterior to give the same window size in section to each floor. When looking at the elevation, the same four sliding windows line up to indicate that the house, with a height of a two-story building, is three stories tall.
A wind unexpected in a room located underground travels from the east to the west’s window in the basement. Moreover, the furniture’s core height was set at 300mm below the slab so that the wind would travel above it. The ceiling of the concrete, which gradually rises, invites natural light to the interior. The slope’s green on the east side can be seen at the end of the rising ceiling.
On the first floor, the rising floor blocks view from the street and ensure privacy while also inviting light and wind from outside. Besides, the oppressive feeling exuded by the 3m-tall retaining wall on the east side is skillfully minimized by the rising floor, directing the eye to the green that is beyond. An acryl was used for the toilet’s ceiling, located in the first floor’s core furniture, allowing natural light to enter even though it is placed at the center of the floor.
The second floor gradually slopes to provide a comfortable space as if to replicate the hills outside. The roof slab is also slightly bent. This was done to prevent the rainwater that collects on the parapet-less roof from flowing to the windows. The water collected at the center travels to the ground through the slit on the southern wall.
The design sought to build a house with one basement floor and two stories above the ground in which the levels underground and above ground are stacked in an equal way. However, once the framework was completed at the site, everyone began to call the basement on the first floor, the first floor on the second floor, and the third floor on the second floor. In the end, we could not tell which floor was which, giving life to a very intriguing house in which you are above the ground while you remain below it.
House in Byoubugaura Plans
Sections of the House
Elevations
House in Byoubugaura Image Gallery
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- Elevations
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- Stair Detail
About Takeshi Hosaka Architects
Takeshi Hosaka Architects is a Japanese Architecture studio based in Tokyo established by Takeshi Hosaka and Megumi Hosaka in 2004. The studio endeavors to create architectures with natural elements found in the environment, such as direct and indirect sunlight, to create dynamic landscapes with nature.
Other works from Takeshi Hosaka
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