miyahara architect office: house IN

'house IN' by miyahara architect office in chigasai, japan
all images courtesy miyahara architect office


tokyo-based miyahara architect office (teruo miyahara) has completed 'House IN',
a two-storey private residence in chigasai, japan. exploring the notion of the individual family
member as a basic unit of a house, the design of the living spaces are approached similarly
to creating pocket parks in a city, resulting in a dwelling that is at once individually private
yet open and well connected.



street facade


designed for a couple and their two grown-up children, the house breaks away from
the standard practice of configuring private programs together by arranging the bedrooms at
calculated distances from both one another and the communal spaces. featuring a large
entry void that leads into a courtyard space on the ground floor, the interior space unfolds
around this central open space. a floating balcony constructed out of fibreglass reinforced
plastic grating maintains communicational elements between the two levels.



from the entrance


on the second level, a communal study area is inserted into the main circulation space,
resulting in a nook that encourages interaction between inhabitants. a large open space is
dedicated to the ground floor level, accommodating a kitchen and dining area. though none of
the bedrooms share a wall with one another, they remain connected through site lines - a set of
internal windows that face eachother across the balcony void - and circulational lines.



(left) courtyard
(right) view of floating balcony



kitchen



(left) staircase
(right) open study area



exterior view



floor plan / level 0



floor plan / level +1



roof plan



section



architect's sketch