high land design: house in aoto

‘house in aoto’ by high land design in katsushika, japan all images courtesy high land design

tokyo-based practice high land design has completed ‘house in aoto’, a multi-storey private home in a developed area of katsushika, japan. situated on a site measuring less than 80 m2, the design organizes the dwelling vertically by staggering the domestic programs around a central staircase.

facing a heavily used road to the north, the simple form exhibits a closed street facade while small square-shaped openings diversely mark the surface. the parapet circumscribing the roof level has been extended to exaggerate the height and presence of the building.

(left) entrance (right) beginning of staircase

seeking to establish an effortless circulation system within the house, the layout of the interior is integrated into the movement of the central spiral staircase. each landing serves as a defined platform on which an individual program is accommodated. on the ground level, the entrance is met with a garage and an office. communal programs such as the kitchen, living, and dining area are spread out on three terraced zones on the storey above. the subtle separation in height provides distinction between functions while maintaining a sense of connection between inhabitants. private quarters – bedrooms, bathroom – are located on the third level and are set apart on higher platforms for additional privacy.

interior view