urban architecture office: IWM house

‘IKM house’ by urban architecture office, osaka, japan all images courtesy of urban architecture office

in the urban district of osaka, japan, the ‘IKM house’ by japanese practice urban architecture office bridges the need for privacy within the densely developed area and the desire to visually connect with encompassing context. accessed through the main elevation’s ground level entries, inhabitants are given a discreet and private front door along with a garage door which may remain open as a porous portal between indoors and outdoors. a glass partition forms a temperature controlled workshop within the ground level space which overlooks the street’s activity.

(left) south elevation (right) front door and garage entry

rising to the first floor, a kitchen, dining and living area may access an open-air patio which is partially enclosed with an exterior wall, strategically screens unwanted views from adjacent structures and offers dwellers direct sunlight and framed outward views of details and elevations of neighboring buildings through openings of varied heights, sizes and directions. outdoor terraces continue to stack overhead, culminating with an uncovered ceiling plane and the sky.

view of work space from the garage

from the second floor interior, a platform made from an open grate metal sheet hosts laundry tasks with sight lines through the elevation’s voids to the street below. the third storey features a roof garden with a lounge area terminating with a catwalk which passes through the facade’s vertical plane, creating a quaint balcony to observe the distant rooftops and activity on terraces below.

view outside through the garage