5 roof lanterns illuminate this family home in japan by suzuki takamasa architects

suzuki takamasa makes light the protagonist

Skylights and carefully placed voids bring soft light into every corner of ‘House in Chikusa’ in eastern Nagoya, Japan. Realized by Suzuki Takamasa Architects for a family of four, the two story dwelling is designed to ensure privacy from neighbors while giving each family their own space.

‘We aimed to create a comfortable home where you can choose the area and distance of your family while taking in light, wind, and scenery,’ says the architect.

From the street elevation, House in Chikusa appears like a pair of solid grey volumes, one of which is set back from the other. What you can’t see from the street is that the building is actually composed of five boxes arranged around a U-shaped floor plan. 

Once inside, the introverted residence opens up to a southern courtyard that connects to an open plan kitchen, living and dining space. This social heart of the home is raised by three steps due to the sloping ‘microtopography’ of the site. ‘It is not a height difference that allows you to get a view, but rather a conservative claim to the beginning of the hill that stretches behind you’, explains Suzuki Takamasa Architects. The rest of the program comprises a two-car garage, a hobby room, a japanese room, and four bedrooms, a library and second living space on the second floor.

The key element of this project is the way Suzuki Takamasa Architects has crafted natural light into the space. Each of the five volumes is topped with a generous skylight and a chimney-like roof, which was shaped to avoid excessive solar gain. Five voids have also been planned through the section to allow natural light from the roof lanterns to reach the first floor below. The top light creates a play of light and shadow throughout the house that changes according to the time, season, and weather, adding depth to the continuous space. The architect’s idea is that the different atmospheres and shades of light create diverse spaces to inhabit.

‘We want each family member to seek comfort according to their daily life and enjoy various situations in the complex shades of light,’ continues the architect. ‘I hope that it will be a place full of scenery that will be engraved in my heart as a place for family life that changes in various ways over time.’

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project info:

name: House in Chikusa

location: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
architecture: Suzuki Takamasa Architects

completion: 2021
photography: ToLoLo Studio