kochi architect's studio: garden house

‘garden house’ by kochi architect’s studio in tokyo, japan all images courtesy kochi architect’s studio image © daichi ano

‘garden house’ by japanese practice kochi architect’s studio (kazuyasu kochi) is a two-storey residence and atelier on a lush site in tokyo, japan. integrating as much as possible the exterior garden, the design invites the natural element into the interior space by making the exterior walls transparent through glass.

reflective glass exterior wallsimage © daichi ano

taking advantage of the generously-sized site which measures over 450 m2, the project was conceived to have a building coverage ratio of 20%. with the rest of the plot left untouched, the design maximizes the outdoor presence by incorporating the garden into the house. two transparent boxes are arranged to stand on site and touch corners. by placing the only circulation route between the two cubic volumes, the inhabitants experience the garden in their domestic movement.

interior viewimage © daichi ano

maintaining the natural scheme of the design, a system of exterior panels constructed out of wood wool and glass provide insulation for the house and atelier. the glass acts as a reflective agent, projecting images of the garden back on to the site. the resulting effect blurs the architecture to stand as a neutral and sensitive structure among the plants and trees.

view of the garden image © daichi ano

(left) with the blinds opened image © kazuyasu kochi (right) with the blinds closed image © daichi ano

image © kazuyasu kochi

detail of the wood wool wall make-up image © kazuyasu kochi

aerial view of circulation box in between image © kazuyasu kochi

physical model image © kazuyasu kochi

site plan

project info:

principal program: residence + atelier structure: wooden storeys: two above grade site area: 453.2 m2 total floor area: 132.1 m2

structural engineering: yukihiro kato / MI+D architectural structure laboratory garden: michiko tokumitsu / tokuzo