studio monaka tops concrete 'house om' in japan with a V-shaped roof

nestled on a lot seven meters below the street level in matsumoto, okinawa city, house om by japanese architecture office studio monaka is a single-story reinforced concrete residence split in two different structures and connected via an exterior walkway. the two volumes are topped with roofs of different shapes: the structure that houses all rooms needing plumbing incorporates a V-shaped roof with one protruding side; while over the living quarters a low sloping roof has been placed, which wraps around in a U-shape. all images by kazuoki yasugi

studio monaka divided the house in two separate structures to resolve a drainpipe issue which required the bath and toilet to stand higher than the rest of the rooms, placing all functions that require plumbing in one volume, and all other living areas in another. the two are connected via an open walkway/courtyard, where also a garage is attached. topping them in differently-shaped roofs, the architects were able to block a fair amount of visibility into the interior from the street level. at the same time, they were able to solve the difficulties in sewage flow by setting the floor of each section at a different height.

‘this home required careful consideration on how it looked from slightly above, due to the higher ground level when approaching the building,’ explain the kyoto and okinawa-based architects. ‘not only that, the final sewage drainpipe was located 1.5 meters above the ground, requiring the floor of the bath and toilet to stand higher than the rest of the rooms. on another note, the client asked for this dwelling to convey a feeling of departure from the ordinary, such as that of a resort hotel. we proceeded with the design task keeping these conditions and requests in mind while respecting the okinawan climate and culture.’

as one descends the slope from the street, they arrive at the house after circling halfway around the building and enter through the front door, reaching a spacious inner courtyard wrapped in a concrete enclosure. this courtyard connects each of the living quarters at just the right distance. with no entrance way resembling a conventional genkan front door (a traditional japanese entrance space that exists in most if not all homes across the country, where one takes their shoes off upon entry), one takes off their shoes only before entering each of the interior rooms. ‘in fact, the very concept of a genkan entrance never existed in traditional okinawan architecture,’ explains studio monaka, ‘instead, open corridors lining the outside of the house called an amahaji acted as the entry way to the interior.’

for this home, the architects reshaped the amahaji in an inward U shape—maintaining the function as an opening while controlling its visibility from the street and nearby buildings. the volume with all the plumbing spaces has been placed next to the living areas with a narrow walkway/ garden in between, while the structure also functions as a route to the garage and outside.

‘after thorough consideration, we concluded that it is to be open to the elements, without being too open, nor too closed, and that by keeping this goldilocks-like balance with nature, we are left with an architectural design that is adequately suited to both accepting the abundance that okinawa has to offer and withstanding its severe and unforgiving conditions when they inevitably occur,’ notes the studio while explaining what it means for a building to be okinawan-esque.