studio synapse fashions house in nagano with irregular forms

studio synapse fashions house in nagano with irregular formsphoto © hagane torimuraall iages courtesy of studiosynapse

located in a small city that serves as a summer retreat for tokyo residents, japanese architecture practice, studio synapse (mikiya ueki, saori ueki), conscientiously places ‘house of matoi neue’ in a forested area of karuizawa-machi, nagano prefecture. designed as a continuous bar, the plan bends in two places composed around trees on the site. the first corner is extended with a wooden deck, which appears to cantilever from the structure. inside, the second angle serves to separate the bedroom from the rest of the occupiable space. located at the downhill end of the sloping site, a second level is inserted above the sleeping area to provide further privacy, and take advantage of the extra height without imposing upon the overall volume. several windows punctuate the facade, indicating the various levels at which one sits or stands throughout the dwelling. double glass doors from the living or dining rooms access the deck, extending the living space into the landscape.

a dark finish camouflages the house amongst tree trunks and canopy shadowsphoto © hagane torimura

(left): the sloping site is predisposed for a second level at the back of the house(right): following the natural contours of the hillside, the floor steps down at the edge of each roomphoto © hagane torimura

inside, the house is awash with natural light reflected by white walls and ceilingphoto © hagane torimura

the living room and eat-in kitchen open directly to the landscapephoto © hagane torimura

(left): sweeping view of the house from the loft(right): the study loft takes advantage of the spaciousness of the edificephoto © hagane torimura

the house is sheltered only by surrounding trees; its linear plan faces the main approach, honestly revealing interior activity by nightphoto © hagane torimura

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project info:

architect: studio synapse

location: nagano prefecture karuizawa-machi structure: 2-story steel frame buildingland size: 1,550.03 square meters building area: 93.69 square meters total floor area: 118.23 square meters program: residence for a couple