uemachi laboratory: sakai house in osaka
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'sakai house' by uemachi laboratory, sakai city, minaminu-ku, osaka, japan
image © kazushi hirano
all images courtesy of uemachi laboratory
guided by the philosophy to 'design with necessity' and driven by intuitive modules, hyogo-based firm uemachi laboratory created a domestic architecture
centered around aperture and layering. while the 'sakai house' is located in the residential southern ward of minami-ku, the dimensions and circulation of the space
are designed by the senses. the open plan of traditional japanese architecture is visually tempered by the strategic placement of glazing, grilles and blinds.
the language of wooden slats is present from the front door and pervasive throughout the house. the entrance plane acts as light and wind-shielding screen--
its verticality continued through the grain and board pattern of the staircase and hallway. exposed wooden beams on the ceiling visually counterbalance the
layers of interior and exterior volumes of framed space in the living room and master bedroom as well as direct paths of visual and actual movement in
the mezzanine level. the house is spatially organized around an open atrium containing greenery, modeled after a temple garden. popularly known as a
so-called zen garden, the courtyard is fundamentally a place of interiority, where a single, manicured gesture of foliage is made to extend the line of sight to nature.
these notions are helped by the reflections of lush neighboring landscapes on the large spans of fenestration. the small garden, open to the sky, asks the viewer to
feel the room and extend their gaze to the very limits of the architecture. the home is meant to reveal the extent of nature and makes a statement that the
interior space of the home need not inherit the harried quality of everyday life. the space is not an exercise in minimalism, but rather a careful orchestration of
warm wood grains, the lines of the built volume, changing light and moving sounds.
(left): view from the master bedroom, across the atrium and into the living room and mezzanine level.
(right): looking down to the entrance from the top of the stairs
image © kazushi hirano
the 'temple garden' is the center of the plan and ties all of the spaces together by visually layering the program
image © kazushi hirano
the openness of the plan lends views to the living room, kitchen, and through the house to the neighboring property
image © kazushi hirano
(left):a single moment of vegetation is seen from the porch
(right): the porch is an extension of the living area, differentiated by different hardwood floors and glazing
image © kazushi hirano
the atrium allows the space double high ceilings and reflections of the surrounding greenery
image © kazushi hirano
view from the kitchen
image © kazushi hirano
the view of the study shows that exposed beams delimit lines of sight and create passive lighting systems
image © kazushi hirano
view of the study in the master bedroom, mezzanine level
image © kazushi hirano
(left): washroom
(right): connected bathroom
image © kazushi hirano
exterior daytime view shows the types of slatted screens used through the house
image © kazushi hirano
POPULAR TODAY ARCHITECTURE
A very solid design, practical and comfortable; a great idea for make a building, just without eccentricities.
I prefer the beautiful simplicity that have this home…
very interesting