fujiwaramuro architects uses arched concrete walls to divide this house in osaka

fujiwaramuro architects has completed a residence for a couple and their two children in osaka’s old town district, konohana, using a pair of concrete arched walls to divide its public and private zones. rather than strictly segregating various zones, the softness of the curved walls creates an attractive boundary line that sometimes blocks lines of sight, while at other times it invites people in.

all images by toshiyuki yano

after the clients’ request to reserve part of the property for a three-space public parking lot, fujiwaramuro architects has divided this ‘public’ zone from the ‘private zone’ of the house in quarters using two arced concrete walls. the four resulting zones are defined in descending order of privacy as ‘outer public,’ ‘outer private,’ ‘inner public,’ and ‘inner private.’ the outer public zone contains the parking lot; the outer private zone contains a parking space for the residents and the approach; the inner public zone contains the entryway, japanese-style room for entertaining guests, toilet, and other more peripheral spaces; and the inner private zone contains the open living-dining-kitchen area and courtyard, where the family spends most of its time.

the two arched walls gently link the outer private and inner public spaces, drawing residents inside while at the same time blocking views into the house from the street to maintain privacy. one of the walls extends inside the residence, becoming an interior divider. ‘the walls thus do not segregate public, private, outer, and inner zones, but instead guide the movement of people through the space, alternately block and invite lines of sight, and exist as an integrated component of daily life,’ explains the studio.

project info:

name: house in konohana

architect: fujiwaramuro architects

location: konohana, osaka city, osaka pref., japan

site area: 247.74 sqm

building area: 91.86 sqm

total floor area: 84.22 sqm