Site
Location: Hyogo Prefecture
Land area: 1,680m2

Building
Use: Private residence
Structure: Steel
Floor Area: 293m2

Published
2015	GA Houses 140
2015	Jutaku Tokushu 01-15
	
Awards
2016	2A Asia Architecture Award 2016
		Residential (Villa) Category
        List of Winners
        Architect Interview

Webpage
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The project brief was to design a single family house for a family (parents, 3 daughters and 2 dogs) to enjoy
spending time together and also respect each daughter’s personal space to feel outdoor experience like a scout 
campsite. Spaces for 3 daughters are the main idea for this house as an independent space, dwelling units at the
center of the house, connected to a family space, toward a conceptual idea of “House in House” or an   
interpenetration space　which interacts with the family space. The kid’s room is separated 3 independent living
units, but able to be accessed by sliding screen panels to enhance their strong relationships with their sisters.

This room is direct to the sky above. Skylights with aluminum louvered roof infuse the bedroom space with a sense
of comfort. Because the skylight and louvers spread indirect light into the room, they can feel refreshed in the
mornings. The place in front of their room is a common space called ‘the Family Stage’ , a part of the family
space where daughters play violins like on actual stages, and entertain the family as musician, and the audience
on holidays.

“They’are not dogs; they’re family”. Coming up with this idea, we designed a dog space. The pet space is all about
the joy and challenges as their dog’s happiness and well-being are important for them, and their care and living
spaces play a big role in providing them with a secure and loving house that is located in an outdoor area, but
connected to the house.

Considering a project that optimizes bioclimatic/passive resources and the definition of the Jungle is interacting
with the nearby surrounding of green area. Feeling of nature from inside the house is transparency but in
addition, they can feel safe because of the exterior wooden louver screens creating boundaries of courtyards:
living with nature, great combination of interior space separated with small green area-strip inside. 
The breathtaking combination of this indoor green area is an amusing mixture of inspirations between interior
space and nature in conjunction with passive cooling.

In parallel, the need of sustainability is marked as one of the strengths of the project; making indoor
environment comfortable, consisting of air ventilation between lower louvers and upper window. Air replacement
behavior of cool air from lower louvers will flow through the room to the green space and will be exhausted
through the opening window at the top. Switching the door panels to shut out the green spaces will change the
function to corridors. Therefore, family members in the house, not only can feel comfortable, but also live in
touch, communicating with each other and sharing the moment together. Echoing the concept, the house is responding
sensitively to the site with an identity, with its own personality according to the place it belongs.