kazuhiko kishimoto: sky catcher house

‘sky catcher house’ by kazuhiko kishimoto / acca, atsugi, kanagawa, japan image © hiroshi ueda

the ‘sky catcher house’ by japanese architect kazuhiko kishimoto of acca is immersed within atsugi, a typical residential suburb in the kanagawa prefecture of japan. encompassed by a collection of one and two storey structures, the dwelling’s square footprint and simple windowless elevations conceal any hint of the interior arrangement from onlookers. upon passing through the lattice door at the main entry, inhabitants are welcomed with an open courtyard bordered by living spaces enclosed with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. the wooden planks which wrapped the exterior facade are continued on the ground plane. trees emerge from the floor through circular voidsto mark a path as well as create a garden setting.

the placement of rooms aims to achieve a long and linear circulation around the court. the bedrooms and living rooms are adjacent to the veranda and are only accessible from the outdoors. traditionally, outdoor corridors are essential to maintain a connection with all four seasons, offering dwellers a pleasant change from the static internal environment. staying true to the name of the home, the height of the roof is kept to a minimum to maximize views to the sky from the interior.

aerial view image © hiroshi ueda

main entry image © hiroshi ueda

(left) lattice door open (right) trees emerge form the wooden plank floor images © hiroshi ueda

aerial view of courtyard image © hiroshi ueda

trees emerge from circular voids image © hiroshi ueda

(left) central courtyard and trees (right) dining area images © hiroshi ueda

view towards main entrance image © hiroshi ueda

lattice door closed image © hiroshi ueda

lattice door open to reveal japanese-style room image © hiroshi ueda

approach to kitchen image © hiroshi ueda

kitchen image © hiroshi ueda

kitchen image © hiroshi ueda

view from dining area image © hiroshi ueda

at dusk image © hiroshi ueda

image © hiroshi ueda

image © hiroshi ueda

aerial view of courtyard at night image © hiroshi ueda

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

section

section

elevation

project info:

location: atsugi, kanagawa date of completion: april 2012 principal use: private house structure: wood site area: 198.5m2 total floor area: 105.4m2 photography: hiroshi ueda