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House in Kitabatake
Toshiyuki Yano

House in Kitabatake

The site is at the end of a cul-de-sac in a densely populated residential area in Osaka City. The study is located on the first floor, the LDK (living/dining/kitchen) on the second floor, and the children's room, workspace, and bedroom on the third floor. The front road from which light comes into the house is on the north. If a three-story building is built on a fairly deep lot, it becomes more difficult to bring in light towards the back of the site. We decided to locate a glass-enclosed atrium/sunroom in the center of the building to avoid this phenomenon and to connect the rooms on the first through third floors.

photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano

The glass atrium generates visual connection, brings in light, and we made it into a sunroom by installing a glass floor on the second floor to allow entry inside. We wanted to bring freedom in daily life and movement in the house by creating a sunroom where people can walk through, stop and look up at the sky, or spend time on the glass floor.

photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano

Through the glass-enclosed stairwell/sunroom, one can see the changing expression of light from various locations in the house as time passes. White is used as the base color for the walls and ceilings as a material to distribute light, and fixtures are composed in a simple color scheme so that the entire building is basically composed of two colors. The glass transmits and reflects light, creating a comfortable sense of presence the family member in each room can share: one can see others but not hear their voices, and one can sense signs of others from light but cannot see each other.

photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano
photo_credit Toshiyuki Yano
Toshiyuki Yano

This project adopted a clear plan centered around a glass atrium/sunroom. The transmission and reflection of the glass allows the viewer's line of sight from various locations to spread out three-dimensionally, giving the building, which at first glance appears simple, a complex impression.

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