a triangular atrium crowns airhouse’s new private residence in japan

‘House in Yokohama’ by Airhouse 

‘House in Yokohama’ is a new Japanese dwelling tucked within a quiet street of Aobadai in Yokohama City. While discreet in size, the structure was conceived by Airhouse as an all-white sculptural volume that stands out from its surroundings — offering residents a bright, open space without compromising privacy and domestic familiarity. Surrounding the house perimeter is a retaining wall which the team installed after excavating the originally mounded plot of land.

‘The site, like the adjacent land, was in a situation where it was raised one step above the front road and had a mound. Here, the embankment was excavated to the road level, and the building ground level was lowered from the neighboring land,’ writes Airhouse.

a sky-lit residence with sharp angles 

The ground floor of ‘House in Yokohama’ reveals a rectangular volume punctuated by a simple entrance from the road. Once inside, a spacious living-dining-kitchen area greets residents; further in, Airhouse (see more here) laid out an enclosed terrace enlivened by sunlight during the day. A spiraling staircase, meanwhile, connects the ground floor to a semi-basement hosting a bedroom for guests.

The staircase also leads to an upper level, crafted as a sharp triangular atrium illuminated by slit-shaped skylights; the light pouring in reaches the LDK and entrance on the ground floor. According to Airhouse, resorting to a sharply-angled atrium allows daylight to expand inward generously and creates a comfortable gap between ‘House in Yokohama’ and neighboring residences.

‘As a result, in a residential area, by thinking about how to separate the boundary between the building’s ground plane and the site, it is possible to secure expansiveness and natural light, and the unique geometry of this house creates a unique space full of light. It has become a rich living space where you can live with a sense of openness and nature even in the city,’ concludes the practice. 

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project info:

name: House in Yokohama 

location: Aobadai, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

architecture: Airhouse | @keiichi_kiriyama

structure: Ohno Japan 

contractor: Hokushin Doken 

photography: Toshiyuki Yano