atelier kenta eto wraps cube house in black aluminum in kadokawa, japan

atelier kenta eto has built a house for a family with two children in kadokawa town, japan, as a simple square volume of 8 x 8 meters in a plane. surrounded by a mountainous landscape and a few houses that have remained in the area, the residence stands out with its black aluminum cladding, while, due to a tight budget, wood has been chosen as the main construction material.

all images © toshiyuki yano

built for a family that welcomes many relatives and friends for holidays, the 64 sqm house comprises a large central hall and various smaller residences dotted around it. atelier kenta eto has placed two large openings at both ends of the central hall, creating a 2.7-meter-wide and 8-meter-long passage along the north-south axis. the east wing and the west wing have been arranged on both sides of this central aisle, with the first enclosing the living and dining rooms, the kitchen and bedroom spaces, while the washroom, bathroom, and extra space are located in the second.

a thin bridge combining 90 mm steel and 6 mm thick steel plates is suspended over the hall in a zigzag shape, connecting the east and west sides. the boundary between inside and outside is defined by a large, wooden sliding door of 2.7-meters width, connecting interior spaces with the garden on the south side, and the rural landscape on the north.

project info:

name: house in kadokawa

architect: atelier kenta eto

location: kadokawa town, higashi usuki-gun, miyazaki prefecture, japan

main application: dedicated housing

site area: 299.75 m2

total floor area: 120.61 m2

built area: 68.93 m2

structure: wooden

structural design: tatsumi terado structural studio

construction company: kyoei co., ltd. / hideaki beppu