UN / Yo Yamagata Architects

Architects: YO YAMAGATA ARCHITECTS
Location: Kanagawa, Japan
Project Area: 144.63 sqm
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Forward stroke Inc

A remnant land
The project site is in local hill near Tokyo located in a new residential area. The site is Flagpole-like site of triangle shapes by residential division. As a result, we could not expect view around with surrounded 7 neighboring house. Client was a couple as both work. We were requested amenity for spend the weekend with relax and slowly.

Three court yard
So we built a wall at perimeter to guard privacy. And we arranged three courtyards of different types at corner inside a wall. Consider the sunlight conditions, we arranged bedroom, bathroom, where water is used and Japanese style room as a guest room at 1st floor, living room and dining room as a main living space at 2nd floor.

Front court
There is a front court enclosed with a wall overhang over the stair of approach. So the approach is continuous to the entrance from the surrounding environment. Terrace is open to the south the 2nd floor.

Lightwell
There is a lightwell in order to take natural light for Japanese style room and bathroom at 1st floor. This is square 1.8m on a side and 6.5m high.

Back court
There is a back court at north-west corner in the site. This is a court of triangle 5m on a side. Reflection from the wall of Backcourt provided a soft indirect light for bedroom and dining room.

Spine
You can look at different type court from each room at the 1st floor, so the rooms are cozy. You can look at three courtyards at the same time so there is inside open space. 2nd floor is one room living room, dining room and kitchen. The wooden loft crosses a space at the top center. This is an important tubular structure connecting the two outer walls (6m maximum span approximately) to achieve a column-free space. It has a role as the spine of the building.

Chamber
The tubular loft has a powerful exhaust fan with a temperature sensor. In the summer, there is a role as the air chamber to exhaust force the hot air near the ceiling in the loft upstairs. In spite of a normal residential area, the necessity of unique spatial structure was born of the singular site. I think I was able to make a high open space in spite of surounded a wall due to arranged the external space in three corners of the site.