HYG Architects designs Japanese home as spatial continuum of its surroundings
Clerestory windows and a curved ceiling create shifting patterns of light and shadow through this timber-lined home near Tokyo, designed by local studio HYG Architects.
Named House in Takahatayama, the home was designed by HYG Architects founder Keiichi Yanagihashi for his own family in the Tama Hills, southwest of Tokyo.
Informed by the surrounding neighbourhood's undulating landscape, the studio created a blocky form that conceals what is almost a single internal space, with rooms divided by changes in height or lighting, rather than partition walls.
"Walking through the neighbourhood, I was deeply moved by the rich sequence of shifting views and perspectives created by the natural elevation changes," Yanagihashi told Dezeen.
"We sought to translate the experience of navigating the hillside – where the landscape unfolds step by step – into the architectural layout."
"By connecting rooms with varying ceiling heights, light qualities, and floor levels, we created a living environment where moving from the dining area to the bedroom feels like a continuation of a walk through the hills," he added.
Beginning at the home's entrance, the study, dining, kitchen, living and bedroom spaces all flow into one another, flanked by small, enclosed rooms containing bathrooms and a sauna.
In the study, dining room and kitchen, lower ceilings and windows create more intimate spaces that overlook the surrounding garden and open onto a small terrace.
Once in the living space, the home opens up into a double-height space topped by a curving section of roof, illuminated by clerestory windows on either side.
As well as being unified spatially, the interior of House in Takahatayama is lined entirely with panels of Hinoki plywood, chosen to create a warm backdrop that would reflect the changing light conditions throughout the day.
"The layout is designed as a 'spatial continuum' rather than a series of divided rooms," Yanagihashi said.
"This creates an exquisite sense of distance; it allows for 'simultaneous yet separate activities' – such as one person dining while another relaxes in the living room – where residents remain aware of each other's presence without feeling interrupted."
"The living room's curved plaster ceiling acts as a massive light diffuser, gathering light from multiple directions and reflecting it off the curved surface to create a space of fluctuating light without harsh shadows," he added.
Externally, the home has been finished in simple grey render and topped with metal roofs, with the niches created by its blocky form used to create more enclosed seating areas among the surrounding garden.
Other homes in Japan recently featured on Dezeen include An Unfinished House by Kraft Architects, a minimal home in Isesaki City, and a timberlined home in Tokyo with a curving metal terrace for potted plants.
The photography is by Pep Photography.
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