suppose design office: house in tokushima

'house in tokushima' by suppose design office in itanogun, kitajimacho, tokushima, japan
all images courtesy suppose design office
image © toshiyuki yano


japanese practice suppose design office has sent us images of 'house in tokushima',
a single storey private residence in itanogun, tokushima, japan. drawing from the shading effect
caused by a collection of trees in a forest, the design translates this law of nature by creating
a ceiling that filters in sunlight through gaps in the surface.



street elevation
image © toshiyuki yano


pushed in from the street line to the south, the house sits low to the ground with a simple
front facade. the centrally running core was left completely transparent along the length of
the house, lending views directly through the residence to the other side of the plot.
a flat roof generously extends over the house, which reads as a collection of boxes arranged
closely on the ground floor.



view of living space from outside
image © toshiyuki yano


individual programs that require a level of privacy - bedroom, tea room, atelier, washroom -
are accommodated in separate box-like volumes which were then treated like trees within a forest.
the roof extends from the rooms providing a shaded area over the interstitial space between.
as a result, a network of gaps in the ceiling allows direct sunlight to enter the interior.
though artificial and regularly shaped, inhabitants experience the trajectory of the day through
natural means. the communal space situated in the centre benefits from a heightened sense of openness. 



interior view
image © toshiyuki yano



dining and kitchen
image © toshiyuki yano



charred timber surface of the rooms
image © toshiyuki yano



light coming through the gaps in the ceiling
image © toshiyuki yano



image © toshiyuki yano



internal window from bedroom
image © toshiyuki yano



floor plan / level 0



longitudinal section


project info:

principal use: single family hose
main structure: timber construction (subset structure: steel)
site area: 498.40 m2
building area: 234.468 m2
total floor area: 194.49 m2

project team: makoto tanijiri, masahiro hasimoto
structural engineer: ohno japan