house in shime by mori architect office is built around a central inner courtyard

located on the main road of kasuya-gun, fukuoka, japan, the house in shime by mori architect office encloses a quite and expansive living environment within its concrete shell. sheltered from the bustling surroundings with small openings on its exterior walls, the residence is developed around a central inner courtyard, which not only secures enough privacy, but also extends the size of the living area.

all images by kouji okamoto (techni staff)

mori architect office has extended the sidewalk at the front of the site by pushing the house at sufficient distance, eliminating the feeling of pressure pedestrians have on busy city streets. though sheltered off from the outside through the concrete exterior walls, the residence is light and airy thanks to the open-air courtyard in its center. floor-to-ceiling glass panels on the courtyard walls allow the gaze to pass through the entire interior, while a concrete beam of 15 m span stretches from one courtyard to the other, enhancing the affinity of inside and outside spaces. in conversation with the beam, an 8-meter floating kitchen counter built from GRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete) adds to the quality of the space.

project info:

name: house in shime

architect: yutaka mori, mori architect office

location: fukuoka, japan

structure: reinforced concrete

number of stories: 1 story

strucutural engineer: kosaku ando

site area: 219.54m2

building area: 116.03m2

total floor area: 113.68m2