‘house with empty lot’ by ON design partners in fujisawa, kanagawa, japan all images courtesy ON design partners

 

 

 

japanese architecture practice ON design partners (osamu nishida, takanori ineyama) has shared with us images of ‘house with empty lot’, a private dwelling for a musician and surfer couple in fujisawa, kanagawa, japan. aiming to accommodate for the clients’ respective hobbies and lifestyle, the design is conceived as a hybrid living space with an individual ‘house’ on either ends.

ON design partners: house with empty lotentrance

 

 

 

situated on a tight site with barely any open faces, the project features a slight kink in its orientation to pivot towards the entrance. the free-standing structure is minimal in its openings, gaining the majority of its interior daylight through elevated windows and a skylight. maintaining the proportions of the surrounding buildings, the exterior is read as a multi-level house in its approach.

ON design partners: house with empty lot (left) view in to main space (right) communal area

 

 

 

despite the limited site, the interior seeks to maximize its potential by leaving the majority of its space open to the roof. the abundant ceiling space creates an expanded sense of space while creating a large area for a variety of activities. stacked on either ends of the layout are small box-like rooms that cater to the different needs of the clients. this organization spatially compartmentalizes the programs, leaving a large portion of the house free as a neutral communal zone. by pragmatically arranging the interior in this format, the design explores and proposes a new way of defining the boundaries of a home.

ON design partners: house with empty lot ceiling

ON design partners: house with empty lot

clerestories and ground level windows

ON design partners: house with empty lot

stacked rooms

ON design partners: house with empty lot washroom

ON design partners: house with empty lot

from second level room at night

ON design partners: house with empty lot

view of living space from above

ON design partners: house with empty lot schematic model

ON design partners: house with empty lot floor plan / level 0

ON design partners: house with empty lot floor plan / level +1

ON design partners: house with empty lot floor plan / level +2

ON design partners: house with empty lot sketches of separate ‘houses’ (left) musician’s house (right) surfer’s house

 

 

project info:

 

site area: 140.45 sqm building area: 62.98 sqm total floor area: 110.06 sqm structure: woodstructural design: kazuyuki ohara (BSI) construction: best home