naoko horibe architect’s office: house in yamakawa

naoko horibe architect’s office designs house in yamakawa
image © kaori ichikawa
all images courtesy of naoko horibe architect’s office

osaka-based firm, naoko horibe architect’s office has designed a house in yamakawa that uses a gently sloping mass to reframe the mountainous lamdscape. the building’s form emulates the tectonic elements with a dark peaked volume bends with the flow of the adjacent street while leaving a portion of the triangular site for a driveway and parking area. mimicking the stratified layers of earth, the facade is finished in horizontal metal siding interrupted by a material shift in form of a wooden, lattice-like screen. the varied cladding finds unity in form and harmony in horizontality, while the chromatic and tactile change is a welcome visual change that helps articulate the architectural program.

(left) the main entrance
(right) the terrace extends from the house, enclosed by a wooden screen that continues the roofline
image © kaori ichikawa

giving the family privacy from the road, a layer of storage closets lines the window-less east-facing facades. except for the main entrance, this side of the dwelling is impermeable. once inside, the central corridor further separates the living areas and bedrooms from the noisy street. within these protective layers, the bedrooms have large windows that look out onto the verdant yard with cherry trees, and distant mountains. the living room, entrance foyer, and drying area open directly to the outdoors with large sliding glass doors that lead to several terraces, finished with wooden floorboards that extend the occupiable space of the home.

windows at the back of the house open to views of cherry trees in the yard
image © kaori ichikawa

the peaked silhouette echoes the form of distant mountains
image © kaori ichikawa

(left) corridor from the bedrooms to the main entrance
(right) corridor from the main entrance to the japanese room, washrooms, and main living and dining area
image © kaori ichikawa

view of the kitchen, dining and study area from the terrace, which extends from the home with continuous wooden floor boards through the over-sized sliding glass door
image © kaori ichikawa

night view
image © kaori ichikawa

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project info:

project name: house in yamakawa
architect: naoko horibe
design to completion: august 2011-december 2012
location:  yoshinogawa-shi, tokushima prefecture, japan
primary usage: residence
structure: wooden construction, single story above ground
client: couple with a child
site area: 1024.45 m2
building area: 151.14 m2
total floor space: 151.14 m2
photographer: kaori ichikawa