rhythmdesign: house in hikarimachi

‘house in hikarimachi’ by rhythmdesign in kasuga, fukuoka prefecture, japan all images courtesy rhythmdesign image © koichi torimura

‘house in hikarimachi’ by japanese architecture practice rhythmdesign (kenichiro ide) is a multi-storey private dwelling for a single family in a residential neighbourhood of kasuga, japan. inviting the outdoor elements indoors, the rectangular volume features a large corner void that serves as an atrium-like balcony that spans the height of two levels.

view of balcony image © koichi torimura

situated within a dense part of the neighbourhood, the design reserves the ground level for car parking and private programs while the upper levels accommodate the communal spaces. the large excised volume from the corner is easily read from the exterior, particularly during the night when the artificial light from within provides a lantern-effect. long curtains on tracks allow the inhabitants to control the level of sunlight as well as maximize privacy when needed. 

exterior and interior views of staircase images © koichi torimura

placed directly next to the balcony, the living space can be easily extended to the outdoors and gains abundant natural light through the double-height glazed surface. the third storey, conceived in a loft-like fashion, overlooks the living area below and achieves a heightened view of the neighbourhood through an elevated strip of window that wraps around the opposing corner. in order to maintain an unobstructed layout, the main staircase is housed next to the balcony in a lightwell-like void space. the circulatory activity is made transparent by the glass finish.

image © koichi torimura

view of the balcony from the living room image © koichi torimura

image © koichi torimura

(left) from kitchen (right) entry images © koichi torimura

staircase image © koichi torimura

third storey image © koichi torimura

view down to the living space image © koichi torimura

from balcony image © koichi torimura

image © koichi torimura

project info:

principal use: single family house structure: steel site area: 125.70 m2 building area: 65.62 m2 gross internal floor area: 166.11 m2project architect: kenichiro ide design team: kenichiro ide, fukutomi lighting consultant: USHIO SPAX FUKUOKA structural engineers: noguchi toyotaka electrical facilities planning: taiko setsubi sekkei corporation machine facilities planning: ishikawa setsubi corporation main contractor: iguchi construction company