‘pojagi house’ by MDS, yokohama-city, japan image © toshiyuki yano all images courtesy of MDS

in a residential district of yokohama-city, japan, the ‘pojagi house’ by tokyo-based architects kiyotoshi mori and natsuko kawamura of MDS. the interior of traditional japanese homes feature a space with floors surfaced with straw tatami mats, referred to as the tsuzukima, or ‘continuous gap’. sliding screens within the wide open area may be drawn to subdivide into smaller rooms. this concept has been reinterpreted and expanded within this dwelling, incorporating a korean pojagi patchwork cloth designed by the owner. moveable panels of fabric are hung between a loose spatial arrangement of partitions comprised of a colonnade of wooden pillars. the square columns measure 150 mm, stacked against each other to form wing walls.

the exterior features a modular composition of cladding and windows, paralleling the interior theme. surfaced with cedar boards which have been blackened with a heat-treatment process to protect from insects. dwellers enter from the street through a concrete base, doubling as the foundation to navigate the sloping road. individuals ascend to the first floor through an open-riser stairway formed with cantilevered concrete blocks. a galley kitchen and living room encompass the dining area, placed at the center of the floor plan. a high ceiling above the table and chairs reveal a lofted level through a ring of vision panels. heating within the wooden components efficiently circulate warm air through the entire structure.

MDS: pojagi house view from the street image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house living spaces of the house rest upon a concrete plinth image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house main elevation image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house ground level entry image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house first floor kitchen, living + dining roomimage © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house vision panels at the perimeter of the dining room allow views from the second level bedrooms image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house dining room with kitchen beyond image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house kitchen concealed with pojagi panel image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house (left) galley kitchen (right) detail of wooden wing wall images © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house dining room image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house loft image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house (left) concrete stair leading to first floor (right) open riser stair to second floor images © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house upper level corridor image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house upper level bedroom image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house upper level bedroom areas image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house (left) chalk wall corridor (right) bathroom images © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house interior at night image © toshiyuki yano

MDS: pojagi house possible room layouts for the first + second floor

MDS: pojagi house section

project info:

architecture: kiyotoshi mori & natsuko kawamura / MDS photography: toshiyuki yano location: yokohama-city,kanagawa date of completion: 2010 principal use: residence & atelier structure: wood + rc site area: 102.68m2 total floor area: 117.18 m2 (35.03 m2/1f, 44.64 m2/2f, 37.51 m2/b1f) structural engineer: kenji nawa / nawakenj-m exterior finish: charcoal cedar siding roof: galvanized color steel sheet standing-seam roofing floor: oak flooring wall: acrylic emulsion paint + plaster board ceiling: acrylic emulsion paint + plaster board