A tall white wall wraps around the base of this house in Tsukuba City, Japan, screening it from the street and creating the illusion of a triple-level structure.
We designed the two-storey home for a couple and their three children in Tsukuba, a city 40 miles outside Tokyo. While the home has been given the name Circle House, it gives the impression of having three rectangular floors.
The name originates from the building's layered form, which is intended to represent the circular ripples that often appear on the surface of water.
The white walls surrounding the indoor space maintains privacy while allowing for plenty of sunlight.
The first wall encloses a narrow strip of land around the lower floor of the property, providing daylight while maintaining privacy from neighbouring buildings and the street.
The second extends up from the slightly larger ground floor to conceal a first floor balcony, while the third wall is topped by a flat roof.
The perimeter wall wraps the lower floor of the property on three sides but on the fourth side a strip of blackened timber marks the entrance. This is made from planks of red cedar that have been painted black to contrast with the white facade.
Inside, oak floorboards that run in the opposite direction to the steps cover the living area, while traditional tatami matting is used to create the chequered floor of an elevated lounge.
The framework for the kitchen is wooden, and Mortar has been painted on the surface.
The interior blends a tatami-floored Japanese space with a modern-vintage space.
Team:
Architects: Kichi Architectural Design
Photographer: Shinzawa Ippei
Materials Used:
Facade cladding: mortar and painted
Flooring: wallnut wood
Doors: wooden and a vintage wooden door
Windows: aruminium and pair glasses
Roofing: Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics waterproof
Interior lighting: Downlight,Pendant lights with bell-shaped glass shades hang in a line
Interior furniture: Wooden benches that are made from Indonesian teak
