kohei yukawa plans his own house and workspace around a light-filled core in japan

in the japanese city of ibaraki, kohei yukawa of yukawa design lab has realized every architect’s dream by designing his own home and workspace. the recently completed dwelling, which is called ‘house with margin’, focuses on flexibility of use and is characterized by bright, open interiors and a warm, inviting atmosphere. 

images by yohei sasakura

when yukawa set about to build his own house, he first considered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has meant a huge increase in time spent at home. he then noted three main points that he wanted to achieve with the design: firstly, a joyful space filled with the personality of its inhabitants; secondly, a house that relates to its external environment, specifically the adjacent field; and thirdly, a dwelling that is future-proof and able to evolve as the needs of the family change over time.  

from the outside, the house is articulated by silvery metal façades and three monopitch roof planes that alternate directions. the main concept behind the design, and its namesake, is what the architect describes as ‘margin’ space. the margin — or void — begins from the outside, where the private road meets the field, and extends from the multifunctional space on the first floor to the space above the shoji screens in the japanese-style room. this open area serves as the focal point of the house; creating a unique atmosphere and bringing gorgeous natural light deep into the floor plans. 

an office space is located on the first floor while the social program, including the kitchen and dining room and living room, can found on the second floor. on this upper level there’s also the traditional japanese-style room that can either be closed with retractable shoji screens or open to the rest of the house. this use of translucent partitions is also applied to the office on the first floor, allowing the space to be separated only when needed while not compromising on natural light, which filters through the polycarbonate curtain.  

project info:

name: house with margin

location: ibaraki, osaka prefecture, japan

architect: yukawa design lab

structural design: tmsd takashi manda architects

construction: vico co., ltd.

structure: timber

number of floors: two

total floor area: 126.38 m2

photography: yohei sasakura | @yoheisasakura