this composite house in osaka incorporates the diversity of its surroundings

‘house in minoh’ by Motooka Ito Architects 

Amid a quiet residential area in Osaka, Japan, ‘House in Minoh’ by Motooka Ito Architects emerges as a composite structure that respond to its surroundings, incorporating the context while expanding and shrinking throughout. Although located in a relatively calm neighborhood, the residence sits close to a bypass road on the east side, where traffic can get quite heavy, pushing the architects to secure an appropriate distance from the noisy congestion. Complementing that offset is a line of hedges that grew thicker over the years, acting as an extra buffer from the bypass road. Additionally, a garden and parking lot open up a view towards a pond on the west side, adding visual richness to the site. 

all images © Yosuke Ohtake, courtesy of Motooka Ito Architects 

balancing scales, openness, and visual richness 

Balancing the owners’ requests and site restrictions, the team at Motooka Ito Architects shaped the house with four large openings towards the east so as to incorporate the surrounding environment as a ‘borrowed scenery.’ The windows, meanwhile, which are high and narrow, make the building feel smaller compared to its surroundings to instill a calm, human-scaled, and bright environment inside.

In contrast to the fully bright exterior, the indoors feature a balanced mix of dark and lighter tones to maintain proper scalability. From furniture sets to shelving and flooring, the house offers interesting spatial varieties while ensuring a uniform flow from room to room.

Motooka Ito Architects distanced the house from a noisy bypass road

the striking mix of materials reflects the diversity of the surroundings

a more toned-down design pervades the interiors

generous openings to instill brightness and a sense of calm within the house

entrance

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project info:

name: House in Minoh

location: Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

built area: 99.62 sqm 

architecture: Motooka Ito Architects 

photography: Yosuke Ohtake