It is a house built in Tsuchiura City at a distance of one hour's drive from Tokyo.
The appearance of the white shell with sprinkled grayness is inspired by the impression from the nearby streets where the old buildings meet the new.
Behind the facade, on the first floor, a billiard room is one of the features since it quite rarely appears in Japanese house. The visitors can access the billiard room directly from the front door without entering the other side of the house. In addition, kitchen, utility room, toilet, washing machine, dressing room and bathhouse have been designed in a straight line, offering a great convenience for the housewife.
On the second floor, a continuous balcony connects two open spaces outside of the couples’ and their kids’ bedrooms. The habitants could enjoy their semi-private space individually, but also have a freedom to access to the semi-private space of the other members in the family.
In Japan, land is quite narrow for each house. Thus, space is precious and people wish to have their private space. In this project, clients desire two separate rooms for the husband and wife, to release stress. Thus, there are two private reading rooms provided through the separate walking closets. In this case, the husband and the wife have their own space for selves.
Photography by Shinpei Kato of Japan