semicircular skylights cast sunbeams across takeshi hosaka's concrete residence in tokyo

takeshi hosaka builds two-story concrete residence in tokyo

In Bunkyo, Tokyo, architect Takeshi Hosaka designs Yayoi House for a family of four, rooting domestic life in an ecosystem of plants, water, and light. The reinforced concrete residence spans two stories and prioritizes cyclical living. From rooftop rainwater runoff to edible wall-climbing vines, the home integrates natural processes within the city, creating a resilient, self-sustaining habitat.

The decision to build only two stories instead of three was deliberate—an intentional move to create a vertical canvas where sunlight and moonlight could refract across raw concrete surfaces. Two large, semicircular skylights, set diagonally from one another, channel celestial light into the heart of the home. This luminous core opens up into a generous, nearly six-meter-high space that unites the living, dining, and kitchen areas. Surrounding this central volume are the terrace, the children’s rooms, the master bedroom, and the wife’s hobby room, where aquariums and fish tanks introduce a living element to the interior.

all images by Noboru Inoue

yayoi house integrates nature into everyday life

At first glance, Yayoi House stands out for its unique environmental approach. Tokyo-based architect Takeshi Hosaka wraps the structure with greenery. Bitter gourd vines scale the walls, biotopes cluster at the ground, and rainwater drips openly from roof to earth. Water flows along uncovered gutters, down the exterior walls, and into a curated biotope near the entrance. Initially maintained by the family, this aquatic microcosm is later left to self-regulate, evolving into a miniature ecosystem of plankton, plants, and fish. The system is both visible and experiential: glimpsed from a semicircular window inside the foyer and animated during daily rituals like entering the home or bathing beside a planted inner garden.

Hosaka also threads in a subtle food cycle. Waste from the kitchen garbage processor nourishes the terrace plants, yielding nutrient-rich soil. This closed-loop logic of waste, water, and growth exemplifies the architect’s intention, which is to embed the basic elements of nature within the city and in daily life.

Takeshi Hosaka designs Yayoi House for a family of four

the reinforced concrete residence spans two stories

the architect carves two large, semicircular skylights, set diagonally from one another

the skylights channel celestial light into the heart of the home

uniting the living, dining, and kitchen areas

a vertical canvas for sunlight and moonlight to refract

the terrace, the children’s rooms, the master bedroom, and the wife’s hobby room surround the central volume

rooting domestic life in a deliberate ecosystem of plants, water, and light

Yayoi house prioritizes cyclical living

1/14

the project stands out for its unique environmental approach

curved steps mirror the shape of the skylights

a semicircular window inside the foyer

wooden floorings and furniture add warmth

a closed-loop logic of waste, water, and growth exemplifies the architect’s intention

pops of color add character to the children's rooms

framing views of the surrounding greenery

aquariums and fish tanks introduce a living element to the interior

waste from the kitchen garbage processor nourishes the terrace plants

embedding the basic elements of nature within the city and in daily life

bitter gourd vines scale the walls

water flows along uncovered gutters, down the exterior walls

floor plans by Takeshi Hosaka Architects

sections by Takeshi Hosaka Architects

project info:

name: Yayoi House
architect: Takeshi Hosaka Architects | @takeshi_hosaka_official

location: Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan

site area: 202.86 square meters

building area: 120.92 square meters

total floor area: 218.55 square meters

lead architect: Takeshi Hosaka 

structure: Kenji Nawa / NAWAKENJI-M

photographer: Noboru Inoue

film: Ryuto Fujii