y+M design office caps off beret house with triangulated roof
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha
all images courtesy of y+M design office

 

 

 

‘beret house’ is a dwelling for a family of four nestled in an open field surrounded by the mountains of kagawa prefecture near seto inland sea. within this calm and comfortable climate, the client posed y+M design office with two requirements: a covered parking garage and a living space where the residents can keep their privacy.

ym design office beret house japan
the grandmother’s room and lounge can access the outer living area
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

 

 

 

in order to supply these amenities, the architects suggested that the entire roof be enclosed by a semimonocoque shell. this decision, a feature typically seen throughout the structure of airplane fuselages, allowed the skin to carry the loads placed on the mass as opposed to mounting panels and devices onto load-bearing components. in turn, an advantage is given to the interior in which the ceiling folds to provide interesting spatial results, hiding the timber trusses that would otherwise take away from the verticality of the rooms. the first floor is lined with white walls that are complemented by wooden floors. above the master bedroom and child’s room, the second level uses the natural patterning of the plywood to emphasize and decorate the creases in the top surfaces.

ym design office beret house japan
living and dining room
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

ym design office beret house japan
freespace and children’s room
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

ym design office beret house japan
master bedroom
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

ym design office beret house japan
looking towards the entrances of the bathroom and study
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

 

 

 

from the exterior, the triangulated form drops towards the ground to shape an outer moat as is signified by a material continuation of green asphalt shingles. working in a dialogue with the canopy, this buffer zone can cross over different lines of site from neighbors and pedestrians in effective manner that simultaneously maintains privacy. it can be adapted to a variety of uses for their daily life because the boundary is obscured to reduce the distance between inside and outside of the house. along with this system, strategical openings dispersed around the massing are programmatically determined to let sunlight and wind flow towards the main living areas. the best example of this characteristic is seen in voids that have been cut straight down through the residence directly above the trees of the patio.

ym design office beret house japan
terrace connects the married couple’s suite with their son’s room
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

ym design office beret house japan
view down the road
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

ym design office beret house japan
walkway towards the street and garage
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

ym design office beret house japanbetween the walls of the garden
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

ym design office beret house japan
architectural lighting at night
photo © yohei sasakura/sasa no kurasha

ym design office beret house japan 
plans

 

 

project info:

 

location: takamatsu, kagawa prefecture
applications: residential-only
scale: 2 floors above ground
structure: wooden framework
land area: 206.98 m2
building area: 120.60 sqm
total floor area: 141.42 sqm
photography: yohei sasakura