hiroyuki arima + urban fourth build 'angle' house in fukuoka

architect hiroyuki arima has completed an all-white residence in fukuoka, japan that doubles as a exhibition gallery at its ground level. located in close proximity to the city’s ohori park, the house — titled ‘angle’ — seeks to correspond with the neighborhood’s cultural identity, home to many art museums, theaters, and restaurants.

all images by kenichi suzuki / courtesy of hiroyuki arima + urban fourth

hiroyuki arima, who leads architecture practice urban fourth, arranged the dwelling around a central courtyard, conceived as a quiet place of contemplation away from the hectic city streets. filled with oak, maple, and ash trees, this open-air part of the plan forms an extension of the gallery, welcoming in members of the public.

the dwelling is arranged around a centrally positioned courtyard

the three-storey building rises in a U-shape around the courtyard with all internal areas offering pleasant external views. ‘the surrounding environment is monotonous with clustering mid-rise structures, and the project has no distant views,’ explains hiroyuki arima. ‘the design emphatically focuses on defining the house as a distinctive complex cut off from the ordinary foreground, and to explicitly yet reasonably screen its environment.’

the open-air courtyard forms an extension of the ground floor gallery

the project is viewed as a composition of angled monolithic volumes with square and rectangular apertures cut into the brilliant white façades. internally, living spaces expand and contract, with the entire scheme unified through a consistent use of color and texture. the residence provides comfortable living accommodation across the two upper storeys for a couple and their children, as well as the family’s grandmother.

all internal areas offer pleasant external views