shogo aratani architect & associates: tutanaga house

‘tutanga house’ by shogo aratani architect & associates in osaka, japan all images courtesy shogo aratani architect & associates photographer: yutaka kinumaki

‘tutanga house’ by nishinomiya-based practice shogo aratani architect & associates is a three-storey private dwelling for a couple and their child in osaka, japan. constricted by neighbouring buildings to three sides, the design steps back in the front and the back as well as leaves a meter-wide buffer zone between itself and the adjacent structures to gain natural sunlight into its interior.  

street elevation

situated on a long and narrow site measuring 6.8m wide and 17m deep, the layout of  the interior space was singularly dictated by the aim of establishing generous windows that do not cross its sight lines with the windows of the neighbouring houses. the third floor is manipulated to provide four void spaces to provide sunlight to the levels below. featuring a pivoted wall partition, the voids are read as geometrical cuts in the floor slab. the resulting height difference gives the interior a larger and open sense of space.

ground floor room looking out to boundary wall

in order to gain both privacy and light, the ground floor incorporates a low-lying strip of windows that looks out into the meter-wide gap that runs along the length of the site. a bounding wall constructed out of stone serves as a fence between the house and its neighbours.

pivoted floor plan and voids

interior view of third floor

(left) looking up a void space (right)view from stairs to dining room and upper terrace

kitchen

(left) view through void space to tatami room (right) view of kitchen

views of staircase

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level +1

floor plan / level +2

 sectional perspective

project info:

client: couple + 1 child site area: 121.03 m2 building area: 48.03 m2 total floor area: 113.08 m2 structural system: timber frame

consultant: S3 associates inc. general contractor: nishimura kenchiku kobo