yoshichika takagi: house k

‘house k’ by yoshichika takagi, hokkaido, japanimage © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yanoall images courtesy of yoshichika takagi

japanese architect yoshichika takagi has shared with us images of ‘house k’ that appeals to the residents by creating an interior outdoor environment. the residence is conceived as a collection of archetypal housing forms containing individual functions arranged within a covered exterior-like environment that references the urban fabric of a traditional fishing village interpreted on a smaller scale in the midst of suburban sprawl. the contrast between the larger envelope and the decentralized program is clearly seen with the difference in material: an all white shell with a large pitched roof encases the smaller natural wood-clad components. the kitchen is left in the open space in the middle of the house as the common link and the social area of the construct, like a town square. the six surrounding volumes, arranged at different angles with different views to create the feel of a heterogeneous town, provide privacywithin and additional spaces on their ‘rooftops’. unlike the residential units that make up a larger-scale urban fabric, these components benefit from a protected ‘exterior’ area to use the partitions for secondary functions such as the full-height shelving that backdrops the living room or the concrete section holding a central wood-burning fireplace.

image © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

image © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

view from the top of one volume looking over the rest of the houseimage © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

open central ‘exterior’ spaceimage © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

(left) small ‘street’ between houses(right) kitchen and dining areaimage © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

additional spaces on the rooftopsimage © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

image © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

specialized furniture fits with the irregular rooftop angles image © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

back yard and patioimage © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

image © seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano

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project info:

location: sapporo, hokkaido, japan function: residential 
structure: 2-storey wooden structure 
site area: 379.58 m2
building area: 193.77 m2
total floor area: 226.06 m2
design: yoshichika takagi  construction: daisuke hasegawa (daisuke hasegawa & partners)photo credit: seiya miyamoto, toshiyuki yano