tato architects merge house in ishikiri into its historic setting

tato architects merge house in ishikiri into its historic setting
photo by shinkenchiku

yo shimada/tato architects have merged ‘house in ishikiri’ into a residential area erected in 1930 that slopes to the west on the hillside of mount ikoma, overlooking osaka plain. the challenge in developing this dwelling was trying to create a contemporary structure that would coordinate with its historic surroundings.

front view of the house whose geometric volumes and programs are distinctly defined by different building materials
photo by shinkenchiku

the firm tackled the programs of the dwelling individually, rendering each distinct geometric entity with a different material. at the base, ‘house in ishikiri’ is framed by a monolithic white grid that defines a garage and storage area, at the front access point. situated to the left is a small children’s room that is clad in steel plates–typically employed for creating temporary enclosures on construction sites in japan–and features a band of clerestory windows that run around the perimeter of the cube, adorned by colourful, transparent fabrics designed by akane moriyama, which emphasize its programmatic function as a play space.

a terrace running along the length of the house opens the living and kitchen areas onto the sloped site
photo by shinkenchiku

a white high flat roof encloses the garage port space from above, while an open staircase leads upwards into the main living and dining areas which are positioned within a rectangular framework of glass and cement panels that supports the uppermost storey–a black archetypal house volume that comprises the sleeping quarters. a master bedroom is front facing, opening up onto a small deck, while a large void separates it from the guest room positioned at the back of the house, that is accessed by a ladder. positioned below are the kitchen and bathroom that are detached from the rest of the interior by a concrete wall and covered by a translucent lean-to roof.

profile of the house
photo by shinkenchiku

‘house in ishikiri’ has been built 3.5 meters up from the round, so that the dwelling would appear larger than its actual size, to complement the existing homes in the neighbourhoood.

first floor patio
photo by shinkenchiku

aerial back view of the house
photo by shinkenchiku

each volume of the house is made from different materials
photo by shinkenchiku

open staircase that leads upwards into the living an dining areas
photo by yasushi ichikawa

a small water closet is built underneath the stairs
photos by shinkenchiku

general view
photo by shinkenchiku

(left) view from the master bedroom onto the first floor living and dining areas
(right) view across the first floor towards the front of the house
photos by shinkenchiku

the small children’s space enclosed in the steel skin at ground level
photo by shinkenchiku

kitchen and bathroom area
photo by shinkenchiku

photo by shinkenchiku

‘house in ishikiri’ by night
photo by shinkenchiku

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project info:

project: house in ishikiri
location of site: osaka, japan
site area: 233.32m2
building area: 61.37m2
total floor area: 99.38m2
type of construction: steel
program: house
project by: tato architects(yo shimada)
principal designer: yo shimada
design period: march 2010 – april 2012
construction period: july 2012 – january 2013
garden designer: coca-z(tatsuya kokaji)
structural engineer: s3 associates inc.(ichiro hashimoto)
textile designer: akane moriyama