This time we present you a converted Japanese design house in Ōta, which is located in an alley, next to a shopping street in Minimiyukigaya. It also borders another street to the east and a three- and one-story apartment building to the south. The building contains two independent residences – one for a mother and the other for her son and his family. These were designed with the intention of eventually converting them into rental units.
A Japanese design house for the whole family
So the grandmother occupies the first floor while her son, his wife and their child are on the second and third floors. On the third floor there are private areas, such as a living room and a children's room, as well as the bathroom. The architect designed the rooms there as a single overall volume.
The first floor has also been treated as a single volume to make room for a terrace on the roof of the first floor. Between these two volumes, two continuous areas delimit the second floor. These fit together like puzzle pieces and include an open living room that is integrated into the balcony.
With innovative interior design
Oneas much light as possibleTo bring it to the first floor, the team sloped the roofing of the floor on the south side steeply upwards. For this reason, the architect provided the roof with a skylight on the raised edge. On the second floor, this slope becomes a sloping wall that extends the roof terrace floor upwards. In this way, it functions as a privacy screen by blocking the view from the hallway of the adjacent building.
The trees planted along the raised edge of the roof are typical elements of a Japanese design house. These shield the building from the third floor of the residential building and bring in dappled light. This means residents can enjoy the changing light and green patterns.
Minimalist designed interiors
Designing residential architecture in densely built-up areas can really showcase an architect's skills. In this regard, a Japanese design house must take into account both the environment and the individual needs of the local people.
In this case, the designers used oneunusual three-dimensional shapeto respond to the conflicting requirements of building code compliance regarding building height and light/visibility obstruction. Privacy and the distance from surrounding buildings also had to be taken into account. In addition, effective light should be ensured in the living spaces.
