tato architects conceives house in hokusetsu as a 'crystalline labyrinth'

yo shimada is known for creating unorthodox living spaces. having previously designed a home interior with a series of tiered platforms and a property where a sliding polycarbonate façade turns an indoor courtyard into an outdoor patio, the japanese architect has added the distinctive ‘house in hokusetsu’ to his growing portfolio. the dwelling, located in the city of osaka, has been designed for a family who wanted to ‘appreciate each other’s presence’.

all images by shinkenchiku sha

yo shimada, who leads tato architects, believes that conventional dwellings are limiting for their occupants. ‘while they are comfortable, I feel that too much planning has the risk of forcing a predefined lifestyle onto the residents,’ he explains. for ‘house in hokusetsu’, shimada arranged 12 square volumes to create an unusual configuration. the main functions have been positioned within the square parts of the plan, while the rhombus-shaped areas that connect them can be used for a variety of different activities.

this unconventional layout ensures privacy, an important request of the client, while allowing natural light to enter through two internal courtyards at the center of the plan. three additional garden spaces are found at the perimeter of the plot. ‘the space encourages the residents to travel between the different rooms to rediscover their own location,’ says yo shimada. ‘this house is filled with autonomous spaces that can accommodate changes in lifestyle; it is a crystalline labyrinth where the spaces are repeatedly reflected into a prismatic figure.’

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project info:

name: house in hokusetsu
location: osaka, japan

type: family house for parents and child
design
: tato architects/yo shimada

team: yo shimada, nobuhiko sato

structure: takashi manda
structural design
 team: takashi manda, taijiro kato
construction: hirota co.,ltd.
structure: timber
scale: two-story house

site area: 381.27 sqm
building area: 150.53 sqm (39.48% of max 40% of coverage ratio permission)

total floor area: 196.0 sqm (51.42% of max 80% of floor area ratio permission)
photography: shinkenchiku sha