naoi architecture & design office: covered house

‘covered house’ by naoi architecture & design in tohoku, japan
all images courtesy naoi architecture & design
photographer: hitoshi ueda

‘covered house’ by tokyo-based naoi architecture & design is a two-storey private dwelling
in the tohoku region in fukushima, japan. distinguished by a unifying roof form that folds down
to create continuous exterior walls, the house is literally ‘covered’ to create moments and pockets
of private outdoor spaces.

entrance

located a little ways away from the urban area of the city, the design seeks to provide a porous
living environment that meanders between the indoor/outdoor boundary while still promoting
a sense of contained privacy. traditionally unsheltered programs such as parking and a space for
hanging laundry is contained within the folds of the cover form. a large deck space draws out
the internal space, allowing the inhabitants to extend the living area out into the site. large, strategically
placed cut-outs in this secondary skin provide unobscured views of the scenery and maintain great
cross ventilation throughout the house.

(left) exterior view
(right) deck space under the cover

featuring a high-angled fold in the roofline, the main living space is stretched into a generous
two-storey ceiling height, acting as an open atrium between the ground and upper levels.
the design utilizes a number of aperture types – windows that face inside to inside, inside to outside,
and outside to outside – to establish a multitude of relationships within the house and its environment.

looking out onto deck

(left) double height living space
(right) outdoor space

sliding glass doors

(left) looking down to main living space
(right) internal windows

view of living space from outside

night view