House in Kitaoji / Torafu Architects

House in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - WindowsHouse in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - Image 3 of 23House in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - Windows, FacadeHouse in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - Windows, Beam, HandrailHouse in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - More Images+ 18

Kyoto, Japan
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House in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - Windows, Facade
© Daici Ano

Text description provided by the architects. Located in a quiet housing estate in Kyoto, this house was designed with a hard concrete outer shell in order to protect the client need for privacy from the outside, as well as for accessibility in a wheelchair- bound lifestyle.

House in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - Image 21 of 23
Second Floor Plan

Firstly, to protect the privacy of the family, we built walls along the site boundary to elevate the main living space, which is maximised on the 2nd floor. We designed a large central space with individual rooms, wet areas and circulation and other utility spaces surrounding it, to ensure a distance is kept well from the outside.

House in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - Door
© Daici Ano

This compact formation also eliminated the need for passageways in this house. In contrast with the outer wall of this building, we used various kinds of furniture at the central space as partitions to softly separate the internal areas. Avoiding windows along the road, we located spaces with open ceilings and a terrace inside the building for light and ventilation. This way, the occupants can feel the outside anywhere from within this central space.

House in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - Sink, Bathtub, Table, Chair, Bathroom, Windows
© Daici Ano

Considering the environment of the site resulted in a building with a gabled form. We folded the roofs of the small rooms around the central space into the yard to achieve a funnel shaped cross section, which allows light to enter easily into centre of the house. We also individualised the rooms by giving each a different ceiling height.

House in Kitaoji  / Torafu Architects - Windows, Beam, Handrail
© Daici Ano

Although unseen from the outside, within the spaces of these different rooms under this big roof, a bright and open space was made possible.

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Cite: "House in Kitaoji / Torafu Architects" 21 Jun 2014. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/517996/house-in-kitaoji-torafu-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

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