House in Hatsugano / Horibe Naoko Architect Office

Architects: Horibe Naoko Architect Office / Naoko Horibe
Location: Osaka, Japan
Project Year: 2010
Project Area: 86.38 sqm
Photographs: Kaori Ichikawa

This lot is bordered by a road to the west and boxed in by houses to the south, north, and east. In the future, houses will also be built across the road to the west, so our main challenges were to secure adequate privacy and natural light.

As a result, we decided to design the building around a central courtyard. Although the facade appears monolithic from the street, the instant the front door is opened one is confronted by an open, light-filled courtyard.

The plan on the first and second floors allows residents to circle around the courtyard as they move from room to room, almost as if they were going for a walk within their own home.