Living Enclosures: 7 Japanese Courtyard Houses

While not an integral part of Japanese building traditions, the courtyard has become increasingly prominent in present-day Japan.

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In the typology of architectural space, the courtyard has been around for as long as architecture itself. This spatial feature traces void rather than volume, delineating limited access to the natural elements — the garden of a cloister, the heat of a bonfire, the immensity of the night sky. It is for this ability to fold segments of the untamed, outside world into manmade structures that courtyards have made appearances across time and place, in buildings of varied functions — from churches and palaces to offices and homes.

The inherent tranquility of the courtyard makes it especially suited to Japanese residential architecture. While not an integral part of Japanese building traditions, the courtyard has become increasingly prominent in present-day Japan, beginning with Tadao Ando’s early residential works: concrete-clad urban homes structured around enclosures. This collection of more recent designs demonstrates a synthesis of the Japanese proclivity for minimalism and the contemplative quality of the courtyard.

Sparsely landscaped and often rendered in white, the courtyards in these houses — and in one case, an apartment building — exude a quiet glow and create natural focal points for the architecture, often furtive and unreadable from the street. Around these openings, the life and activities of a dwelling converge and sync; the courtyards set in relief both an aesthetic and lifestyle of simplicity.

F-WHITE by Takuro Yamamoto Architects, Kashiwa, Japan

The rectangular courtyard in this residence was positioned at an oblique angle, allowing the surrounding rooms to become connected in a more open and fluid manner. Each room is oriented towards the opening, allowing domestic life to spill into the courtyard and take advantage of a slice of sky.

Luminous House by Shinichi Ogawa & Associates, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

The dramatic Luminous House glows at all hours, with electric light diffusing across the house at night and sunlight bouncing off the white floors in the day. The polished white floor continues into the courtyard, where the widescreen projector and the sparse foliage blur the boundaries between in and out.

3mx10m Courtyard House by e do design, Tsuchiura, Japan

As its name suggests, this house, designed by the architect for his own family, comprises of an intimate green space at its center. The courtyard directs light into the living room, its straightforward dimensions in contrast to the L-shaped massing of the residence.

White Cave House by Takuro Yamamoto Architects, Kanazawa-shi, Japan

While courtyards are naturally inclined to the spectacle, the architect of this house multiplied the effect by rendering the design entirely in white. Consisting of a multitude of voids designed for a family with a penchant for outdoor spaces, the White Cave House is more cave than house. Its furnishings are kept minimal; its painted walls deferential to the rich blue of the sky.

HOUSE T by Tuskano Architect office, Miyazaki-shi, Japan

This courtyard house demarcates its opening with simple shifts in materiality — from painted walls to glass to gravel to concrete. To seclude the client from the noise of the crowded surrounding streets, the architect wrapped the house in a “white plate,” its folds leaving a narrow enclosure open to the elements. The courtyard provides an imagined place of refuge, a false tranquility only a few inches from chaos.

House in Yamanoiby Waro Kishi + K. Associates, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

The irregular shape of the site, adjacent to a small river, resulted in this triangular courtyard house for a couple. In this case, the courtyard is not hidden deep in the home but allows access to it, becoming a transitional space between public street and private dwelling. The expansive ground floor void continues further as a garage for the residents’ collection of vintage cars.

LOOP by Ohno Atelier, Osaka, Japan

The punctured openings on the façade of this apartment block in Osaka hints at its internal design, where an atrium allows residents to maintain their privacy and still access sunlight and a sense of open space. Since the building is sited near a busy subway line, the life of the apartment building is oriented inwards, where the slightest hint of foliage causes a faint ripple in an overwhelming urbanity.