'layered house' by jun igarashi architects in hokkaido, japan
all images courtesy jun igarashi architects


'layered house' by japanese practice jun igarashi architects is a two-storey dwelling for
a family of four located east of hokkaido in the old city district of saroma-cho.
the design designates long slices of the floor plan to separate programs, creating with
a linear compilation a house that is literally layered from one end to the other.



opened to the garden


the site is surrounded by a heavily-used street to the north, a co-op farm to the east,
a warehouse to the west, and the house of the clients' parents to the south.
taking these conditions as a point of departure, the design pins its directionality to
the south where a small garden is placed and creates a closed-door atmosphere for
the rest of the house, creating a sense of ease and comfort for the inhabitants.
the north, east, and west faces are limited in windows while a large opening to
the south places natural light at the center of focus.



(left) view into the living room through the entrance hallway
(right) from the second level


the series of buffer spaces created by the terrace, sun parlor, and guest room act as
volumetric layers that diffuse the light. semitransparent curtains between these
spaces give the inhabitants control over how connected the interior is to the exterior.
this element of layers becomes a motif for the house and is able to be seen from
multiple rooms through square apertures and openings.



living / dining room



semi transparent curtains to the left



in the buffer zone - guest room



looking into the house from the garden






layers seen throughout the house



south facade



north facade



site plan



ground floor plan



first floor plan



section



south elevation



north elevation



east elevation



west elevation


project info:

program: private house
client: 2 couple, 2 children
structural design: daisuke hasegawa & partners
construction: igarashi-gumi
structure: wood
storeys: 2
height: 5.1 m
site area: 596.77 m2
design area: 150.71 m2
total floor area: 202.26 m2