Architecture Review: Takeshi hosaka architects: Outside in

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Takeshi hosaka architects: Outside in

'outside in' by takeshi hosaka architects in yamanashi, japan
all images courtesy takeshi hosaka architects
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

yokohama-based practice takeshi hosaka architects has shared with us images of 'outside in',
a single-storey private dwelling for a couple and their three children in yamanashi, japan.
situated adjacent to a number of farming fields and a wooded plot to the south, the house seeks
to create a subtle gradation from outdoors to indoors, integrating the presence of nature into
the living space.

exterior view
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

largely undeveloped and lush, the site is home to a great collection of wildlife including pheasants,
peafowl and the occasional raccoon dogs. the clients wished for a dwelling that would be porous
to the sounds and elements of nature, softly dissolving the spatial boundary between the interior
and exterior. the south facade features a collapsible transparent surface that can be completely opened
to the woods beyond. interspersedly planted with small trees and shrubs, the partially-sheltered
garden space projects natural characteristics of the site into the compounds of the private dwelling.

roof form
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

side elevation
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

south facade - open
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.

south facade - closed
image © koji fujii / nacasa&partners inc.
working to engage with the outdoors in a vertical motion as well as the horizontal, the design
utilizes a sawtoothed roof form with strips of acrylic roof lights that secure views of the sky above.
the reinforced concrete V beams funnel natural sunlight into the interior, shifting the atmosphere
of the house throughout the day. conceived as a series of layers that gradually add more 'indoor' elements,
the rectangular layout places the private programs such as the bathroom and bedrooms to the north
and communal spaces to the south. different materiality in surfaces softly establishes the changing levels
of 'outdoors' throughout the residence.