' house in ota' by suppose design office: a two-family home in japan

‘house in ota’ by suppose design office

Sited at the top of a slope overlooking the Kanto plain in Japan’s mountainous Ota ward, House in Ota is a two-family dwelling conceived by Suppose Design Office for a couple and mother-in-law. The residential complex breaks down into five separate blocks, each crowned with a sloping roof. While gently partitioned to ensure privacy, the volumes still connect to one another to maintain the communal spirit. Furthermore, the architects ‘planned the house so that both couple and mother would have their own unique vistas, just as this one building is supposed to combine two residences, each with their own purposes.’

all images © Toshiyuki Yano

adopting a closed/open approach

Following a closed/open spatial design, the sharply pointed end of the triangular walls add depth to the landscape and create a gradation of light within each room. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of House In Ota, the thicker end suitably blocks external views to provide privacy where required and cuts off the landscape. This visual strategy extends to the one-sided sloped roof, responding to the town below and the mountain above. ‘Together with the wall, it narrows the landscape, suppressing strong sunlight from the south and bringing stable light from the north into the room,’ explains the Suppose Design Office team.

In addition, by alternating between shorter volumes (entrance and bathroom) and taller ones (bedrooms and living-dining-kitchen), the sense of ‘opening and closing’ turns into transitional layers amid the landscape. ‘In a metropolitan, densely populated Japan where it is difficult to maintain distance from neighbors, walls, and roofs are important elements to protect residents’ privacy from the external environment. The walls and roofs of this house create a secure yet soft gap between the artificial landscape of the town and the great nature, encouraging the residents to coexist with their new environment,’ concludes the practice.

five volumes connected throughout