ON design partners: house in matsumoto

‘house in matsumoto’ by ON design partners in nagano, japan all images courtesy ON design partners

‘house in matsumoto’ by japanese architecture practice ON design partners is a private dwelling with a central courtyard in nagano, japan. open in its spatial organization, the design seeks to engage in direct dialogue with its environment rather than close itself in from the outdoor elements.

view of the courtyard from den

read as a diverse form with a variety of roof heights, the house is conceived as a single room with a flowing circulation route. the layout snakes around three sides of the generous courtyard, gaining abundant natural daylight through the glazed, inward-facing facades. in addition, multiple sight lines are achieved between different areas of the house, facilitating a sense of connection among the inhabitants.

living room

certain programs are stacked on top to achieve a more private setting, such as the living room and bedroom. resulting in a diversity of angled roof forms, the exterior reads as a playful collection of building blocks. numbers of elevated windows ensures that the interior maintains an airy sense of space. 

kitchen

entryway

(left) from kitchen (right) patio corridor at night

courtyard at night

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level +1

section

section

project info:

structure: wood building area: 120.19 m2 total floor area: 147.84 m2