CHOP+ARCHI fits tokyo house in between fork in the road

located in a dense residential district in tokyo, ‘kamiuma house’ is distinguished by its triangular shape formed by two roads meeting at a sharp angle. constructed to fit the exact plot of the intersection, the clients: a couple and their daughter, wanted a house that balanced privacy with the right amount of connection to the surrounding environment. at the same time, the residence must control the environmental elements including direct sun received from its location on a south-eastern corner lot bordered by roads on three sides.

all images © masao nishikawa

completed by architecture firm CHOP+ARCHI, the designed formed a layout that maximized the use of the irregular and unique site shape. due to the location’s openess, many surrounding residences face directly towards the building- creating a feeling of visual pressure. to resolve this, the structure features three voids that serve as intermediary spaces between the inside and outside, gently connecting the house to the surrounding neighborhood while still ensuring privacy for the inhabitants.

‘because buildings on triangular lots tend to include dead space in the acutely angled corners, the three corners in this house are used as exterior voids.’ comments hiroo okubo, principal of CHOP+ARCHI. ‘this creates obtuse angles on the interior side, which gives the rooms a softer shape.’ 

the voids function as spaces that are continuous with the surrounding environment, residents, neighborhood and ultimately, with the exterior. in turn, they ‘modulate connections’ with the exterior. windows have been cut into the structure in sharp angles to provide further connection between the home and its surroundings.

‘the three voids modulate relationships between these elements of the interior and exterior. this modulation enables just the right degree of interaction, and ultimately, leads to harmonious coexistence with the surrounding environment.’

a interesting staircase that blends wood and steel as two volumes is suspended

the home is occupied by the clients: a couple and their daughter

the space has been left minimal

the kitchen on the lower floor

the outer envelope shields the window from neighbors

for privacy reasons, the three corners in the house is used as exterior voids

the designed formed a layout that maximized the use of the irregular and unique site shape