house + dance studio by international royal architecture wraps around open garden in japan

international royal architecture, or I.R.A., has designed a house and dance studio in japan, which wraps around a central open garden. located in a new residential area of kashiwa city, chiba prefecture, the two-story building combines the functions of a house and a dance studio for private lessons. due to the limited amount of space available, the two different functions visually intersect at different points, while two separate sets of wooden stairs that cater to each function mix together.

all images by koichi torimura, courtesy of I.R.A. / international royal architecture


I.R.A. / international royal architecture
 has developed the house and dance studio as a simple, two-story cube, while a circular open courtyard at the center separates the two functions. the courtyard also acts as a private garden that brings plenty of natural light and air within the interior of the building. both functions are developed around the notions of private / public, and static / dynamic, separated yet visually connected at certain points through various openings. 

the building expands in two levels, enclosing a living room, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms and a bathroom for the house; as well as a changing room, equipment storage, studio, and toilet for the dance studio. both the house and the dance studio are accessed via the same entrance, while two doors on the entrance corridor lead to the different functions. international royal architecture has built the house using wood, while the exterior is finished in mortar, giving the impression of a weathering building. with time, the japanese architecture studio hopes that rain and wind will give the volume an aged appearance, transforming it into a mark of history for the new residential area.

project info:

name: house + dance studio in kashiwa

architect: I.R.A. / international royal architecture


location: kashiwa city, chiba prefecture, japan

building area: 73.16 m²

total floor area: 146.32 m²

main structure: wooden