junichi suezaki architects' toyohashi house encloses a light-filled, gardened courtyard

junichi suezaki architect office + osamu kyusojin designs the ‘house in toyohashi’ as a private dwelling for a retired couple in aichi, japan. the house is located on a site surrounded by roads on the three sides in toyohashi city of aichi, where an art museum, sports facilities, and a city park exist nearby. with these three busy roads, the house can not open broadly outward without sacrificing the privacy of its occupants. to allow the dwelling to open toward nature and sunlight, the design team organizes the house around an inner courtyard.

the interior spaces of the junichi suezaki architect office + osamu kyusojin-designed ‘house in toyohashi’ largely face this light-filled, gardened courtyard. the living room, dining room, kitchen, and other family rooms are all integrated within a corridor-type procession which encircles the courtyard to ensure spaciousness and brightness. the private rooms not facing the central garden are illuminated by high clerestory windows along with low ribbon windows along the floor, taking in natural sunlight while blocking a view from the outside.

junichi suezaki architects + osamu kyusojin works with shinpei sasahara of oikos landscape architects to design the gardened ‘house in toyohashi.’ the courtyard seeks to create an emotionally impressive atmosphere by using the garden stones collected by the client’s father. the planting outside seen from the low windows are also designed by oikos landscape architects. with the courtyard as the center of the house, the flow of time and the changes of seasons can always be felt. from each perspective, the house is entirely filled with light.

project info:

project title: house in toyohashi

architecture: junichi suezaki architect office + osamu kyusojin

structural engineer: oha hasegawa michio

landscape designer: oikos landscape architects

construction: hagimori construction co.　

photography: IT imaging