apollo architects and associates: dent a house for a dentist

‘dent’ by apollo architects and associates, yokohama, japan
image © masao nishikawa
all images courtesy of apollo architects and associates

designed for a dentist and his family of four, the ‘dent’ house in yokohama by apollo architects and associates is situated at the end of a flagpole-shaped site with a narrow walkway. this leads from the street up to the built-in garage – sitting beneath the pilotis of the building – with the master bedroom located at the far end, from which a central courtyard can be seen. a metal grating is used to protect the upper level of the enclosure, allowing light to seep down into the subterranean program where a glass paned corridor leads to a compact study, where the owner can enjoy views of his treasured porsche parked within the garage.

kitchen
image © masao nishikawa 

living area within open glass walls on either side
image © masao nishikawa

view towards the courtyard
image © masao nishikawa

living room and stairwell leading up from the ground floor garage
image © masao nishikawa

from here, a staircase leads upwards to the main living space where the family room is located, with the kitchen unfolding into it – an adjoining tatami room also functions as a guest quarters. all the rooms, including the bathroom and wet areas are linked to the external courtyard, with wooden louvers obstructing lines of sight from the outside, ensuring both privacy and loftiness at the same time. above is a roof of hued wooden beams, interposed between the stairwell and loft, which covers this zone that has been designed for the children to play. flanked by neighboring houses in a dense urban context, the residence has surprisingly open interiors with full retractable glass panels that extend the interior spaces to the exterior.

(left) stairwell
(right) bathroom opens to courtyard
image © masao nishikawa

the ground floor courtyard enclosed by a metal grate which allows sunlight to filter through below
image © masao nishikawa

exterior over courtyard
image © masao nishikawa

a narrow walkway leads to the house
image © masao nishikawa 

image © masao nishikawa 

image © masao nishikawa

image © masao nishikawa

image © masao nishikawa

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

floor plan / level 2

section

section 

section

elevation 

elevation

elevation 

elevation

project info:

location: aoba ward yokohama
date of completion: august 2012
principal use: private housing
structure: timber
site area: 62.83 m2
total floor area: 123.07 m2 (62.83 m2/1f, 60.24 m2/2f)
structural engineer: kenta masaki
mechanical engineer: zenei shimada
exterior finish: lithing spraying
floor: wood flooling
wall: synthetic resin emulsion paint
ceiling: synthetic resin emulsion paint