yoritaka hayashi architects: house in nakameguro

‘house in nakameguro’ by yoritaka hayashi architects in toyko, japan all images courtesy yoritaka hayashi architects image © takumi ota

japanese firm yoritaka hayashi architects has completed ‘house in nakameguro’, a small dwelling on a tight asymmetrical site in the centre of tokyo, japan. carefully arranging four stories within the same volume of a three-storey building, the design seeks to provide a large sense of space by abundantly filling the interior with natural daylight.

exterior view image © takumi ota

situated on a corner plot tightly bound of adjacent structures and roads, the house lifts the living space in to a top-heavy design to accommodate a small sheltered parking space off the street. strips of translucent glazing which wraps around the borders create an illusion of a hovering facade, blurring the proportions of the storeys within. the treatment also lends the exterior a dynamic face at night, transforming the house into a light-filled structure.

within context image © takumi ota

(left) street view (right) balcony images © takumi ota

located on the second level, the communal space remains open, connecting the kitchen, dining, and living room in one layout. loose definitions of zones are achieved through built-in furniture which is treated as an extension of the house itself. the translucent panels which line the border of the walls softly illuminate the interior while extending the scale of the space. with an ascending level of privacy, the bedrooms, washroom, and study area are located on the third and fourth floor.

interior view image © takumi ota