In a quiet residential neighbourhood of Kyoto, Iwakura House replaces a three-storey existing building. With mountain views on both the northern and southern sides and a low-rise residential neighbourhood surrounding, the client wanted the house to take maximum advantage of the view. Alts Design Office thus proposed to place the house’s living room on the third floor.
Windows were carefully designed to frame views. A bay window on the northern side is a particular feature that functions as part of the kitchen space. Parts of the kitchen and living room furthermore have a connection with the outside, resulting in a fluid and comfortable space.
Strengthening connections to the exterior, the first floor has a double-storey room and can function as an open area connected to the outdoor space.
The client works at home. Creating comfortable workspaces throughout the house was therefore essential. And with the clients’ future family structure unknown, the design features flexible, adjustable spaces that can adapt to future lifestyles, without the fixed individual rooms that were seen in the previous building.
In the future, the idea is that the client can make changes to the layout, creating individual rooms based on the needs of the moment.
