takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
kanagawa-based practice takeshi hosaka architects has sent us images of ‘daylight house’, a two-storey private dwelling for a family of four in yokohama, japan. focusing on the natural illumination of the interior space as the core element of the design, the house utilizes 29 skylights and a system of curved acrylic panels to fill the rooms with daylight.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
exterior view
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc. (also main image)

 

 

surrounded by a mix of building typologies ranging from 10-storey condominiums to office buildings, the residence stands on a foundation that is sunken in a storey below the street level. a small set of outdoor staircase reaches a slim garden in the front, creating a private entrance for the inhabitants. wrapped in a skin of metallic panels, the structure acquires an unassuming street facade with no apertures lending views of the domestic space within.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
street view
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
outdoor staircase and entrance
images © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

 

 

open to a height of two-storeys, the presence of the ceiling is central in the communal space of the house. a grid measuring approximately 1500mm x 1600 mm serves as the basic armature with sheets of curved acrylic resting in between. artificial white light set at equidistant of the skylights exaggerate the illumination from above and are dispersed by the translucent panels. to achieve the ideal effect, a number of mock-ups experimenting with the size of the structure, colour of the acrylic and the finish of the interior panels were developed. the interstitial air space between the acrylic surface and the roof acts as a climate-controlling buffer zone: hot air heated by the sun is ejected during the summer, while in the winter, the layer ensures a stable microclimate.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
interior view
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

 

 

bedrooms and private studies are compartmentalized in rooms with an open top. featuring large foldable doors, the spaces can be fully incorporated into the main living space or closed off for privacy. a loft level partially sits on top of the children’s bedroom and serves as a neutral platform for multiple functions.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
from the living space
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
kitchen
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
doors closed
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
doors open
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
images © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
ceiling structure
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
skylight
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
views of children’s room
images © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
from study
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
views from the loft level
images © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
images © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
plants integrated into the layout
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
in use
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
interior conditions at night
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
from the loft level at night
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

takeshi hosaka architects: daylight house
roof
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

 

 

project info:

 

site: 114.92 m2
building area: 73.60 m2
floor area: 85.04 m2
building height: 5388 mm
storeys: 2
structure: wooden