HIBINOSEKKEI plans OH house around an internal courtyard in japan

PASSING SEASONS INFORM JAPANESE ‘OH HOUSE’

HIBINOSEKKEI has designed a one bedroom dwelling in atsugi, japan, for clients looking to live with nature, not the city. with this brief in mind, the architect shaped ‘OH house’ around the concept of seasons, and the goal of creating a place where the residents can experience the four seasons changing throughout the year.

image by yasu kojima

OH house occupies a floor area of 183.88 sqm on a 997.58 sqm plot. the street-facing sides of the residential building are almost solid, with just one slim window to bring light inside the circulation corridor. meanwhile, the rear elevation looks out onto a large garden.

when designing this rear façade, HIBINOSEKKEI sought to connect the indoor rooms both physically and visually to the garden. ‘I was particular about the arrangement and size of the windows, how to open and close the fittings, and how the wind and light entered,’ says the architect. as a result, the indoor space is set back with a deep roof eave to generate a large covered terrace. floor-to-ceiling glass doors extend the bedroom, living room and kitchen outside onto this terrace, and into nature.

image by yasu kojima

in addition to the large garden, HIBINOSEKKEI also brings the changing seasons into OH house with an internal courtyard, which can be seen from the entrance and bathroom. this visual connection to nature makes the bathroom a perfect place to relax; from the bathtub, residents can gaze at the leaves on the tree or the clouds in the sky.

the idea of changing seasons and passing time also extends to the material selection. the architect applied natural materials that will age over time both inside and outside the building.‘this is because I think that seeing the process of aging due to sunlight and wind and rain also leads to feeling nature,’ says HIBINOSEKKEI. ‘in this house it is possible to improve life by adjusting the original functions of human beings by being able to face the real things such as nature and people. i’m expecting it.’

image by yasu kojima