katsutoshi sasaki explores public/private spaces with the house in hanekita

katsutoshi sasaki explores public/private spaces with the house in hanekita
all images courtesy of katsutoshi sasaki + associates

japanese practice katsutoshi sasaki + associates shared with us their latest residence, the house in hanekita, located in the city of okazaki. the conceptual approach was governed by the relationship between the exterior site conditions and the home.  for example, a house is typically an individual structure that may interact with its surroundings to varying degrees. in this case, a nearby park is public property that is essentially ‘borrowed’ by the space claimed at one’s own dwelling, therefore temporarily extending the footprint of your private realm. this relationship led to large sliding doors on the north end of the home that open onto the busy street, passing pedestrians, and the park. the south side instead opens to a private garden where cherry blossoms paint a much more intimate picture.

the ground level consists of long hallways at the outer walls of the house connecting larger living spaces. a long wall of sliding wooden partitions joins both units creating an expansive area that becomes a sort of playground within the home. upstairs, a regular matrix of deep timber beams and knee walls organized around the proportion of the ‘tsubo’ (about 3.3 m2) frames a continuous line of site through the structure when standing, but offers private spaces when sitting. each bay possesses its own character, either marked by shadow or gardens illuminated by skylights above.

upstairs area

lower level hallway

illuminated stairwell

the interior is marked by light-toned plywood sheets

gardens and skylights add a touch of light and vegetation throughout the space

bathroom

when sitting, the walls offer privacy

when standing, the space is large and continuous

lower level living area with doors open

closed doors provide privacy

exterior at night

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project info:

project name: house in hanekita
location: okazaki aichi japan
site area: 176.47m2
built area: 92.09m2
total floor area: 149.05m2
type of construction: wooden
exterior materials: metal finish
interior materials: paint finish, lauan plywood
design time：november, 2012 – july, 2013
year of completion ：april, 2014
design team: katsutoshi sasaki + associates
structure company:  tatsumi terado structural studio
construction company:  maruhei construction ltd
photo: katsutoshi sasaki + associates