Houzz Tour: In Japan, a U-Shaped House Made With Natural Materials
Living areas are in one building and private sleeping areas are in another. A kitchen bridges the two structures
A couple in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture wanted a home that provided a healthy living environment and chose a firm with a reputation for building homes with natural materials to design their new house. The design that most captivated them from among the 20 submitted is a plan distinguished by two separate boxes — one for “public” spaces such as the living room, and the other for “private” spaces such as bedrooms and closets — that are linked together by the home’s kitchen and courtyard.
The second “box” — a white two-story structure — is adjacent to the single-story structure. This second building contains bedrooms, rooms for the children, closets and other private spaces.
The public single-story box, the private two-story box and another small box containing the kitchen and inner-courtyard are joined together in a U shape that is the home’s most distinctive feature. This shape makes the home bright and well-ventilated, and vastly improves its function and convenience when accommodating guests and performing day-to-day activities.
The roof of the single-story section has a gentle slope and an array of large-capacity solar panels. The white finish of the two-story building exterior creates a gorgeous contrast with the pale brown of the charred cedar.
The public single-story box, the private two-story box and another small box containing the kitchen and inner-courtyard are joined together in a U shape that is the home’s most distinctive feature. This shape makes the home bright and well-ventilated, and vastly improves its function and convenience when accommodating guests and performing day-to-day activities.
The roof of the single-story section has a gentle slope and an array of large-capacity solar panels. The white finish of the two-story building exterior creates a gorgeous contrast with the pale brown of the charred cedar.
The interior has natural unfinished wood flooring and walls of shirasu volcanic ash (a white pumiceous soil quarried on Japan’s Kyushu island). The living room floor is elm, rafters are Douglas fir, while roof beams and purlins are cedar grown in Gifu Prefecture. The appearance, texture and aroma of the different woods create a space that delights the senses, and for the family who loves natural materials, it is the most relaxing place in the house.
The sloped roof and the ceiling’s exposed structural members create a dynamic, spacious and open interior.
The sloped roof and the ceiling’s exposed structural members create a dynamic, spacious and open interior.
The wall facing the garden has three large custom-made glass windows. Two of the windows can be opened to connect indoor and outdoor spaces and provide direct access to the garden.
The area behind the television is a small built-in home office. Dad and the kids sit together, work on the computer and read, and talk with family members in the kitchen. They plan to make this into a study area for the children.
The sofa and chairs and most of the lighting fixtures were picked out by the homeowners and Harmonie Home designers, who went together on shopping excursions
Ceiling lights: Le Klint; floor lamp: Flame; TV stand, low table, side table, dining chairs: Sugiyama Seisakusho
The area behind the television is a small built-in home office. Dad and the kids sit together, work on the computer and read, and talk with family members in the kitchen. They plan to make this into a study area for the children.
The sofa and chairs and most of the lighting fixtures were picked out by the homeowners and Harmonie Home designers, who went together on shopping excursions
Ceiling lights: Le Klint; floor lamp: Flame; TV stand, low table, side table, dining chairs: Sugiyama Seisakusho
Next to the living room, which measures about 210 square feet, is a traditional Japanese room (about 80 square feet). This flexible pleasant space bathed in warm sunlight may serve as either a guest room or a nap room for the baby. To the right of the living room’s floating cabinets is a glass door leading to the entrance. The small window over the cabinet provides a view of the inner courtyard.
The ceiling of the traditional room is finished in reed panel.
That sums up the public space. So what about the private space?
That sums up the public space. So what about the private space?
The dining and kitchen area joins the single-story building and the two-story building that includes the home’s private space. The 12-foot-long cedar plank counter can seat several adults. Usually, a single plank of this kind is installed with the bark side up, but this home places the bark on the bottom to highlight the lightness of the material.
The kitchen opens up to a view of the courtyard.
Pendant light over the dining table: PH5, Louis Poulsen; pendant lights over the counter: Toldbod, Louis Poulsen
The kitchen opens up to a view of the courtyard.
Pendant light over the dining table: PH5, Louis Poulsen; pendant lights over the counter: Toldbod, Louis Poulsen
For the sink and adjacent areas the couple strongly preferred easy-to-clean stainless steel. On the opposite side, a dark countertop and display shelves and cabinets made of Japanese ash with a clear finish give the back storage area a sharp sense of design.
Behind the back door is a powder room.
Behind the back door is a powder room.
Behind the dining and kitchen area is the home’s two-story private area. The single-story building and kitchen are open and easily accessible to guests, while the private building in the back of this U-shaped home discourages casual access. This U-shaped scheme preserves privacy. At some point in the future, the couple want to live only in the single-story building and the ground floor of the private building.
This photo is of a 140-square-foot bedroom (not yet furnished) on the ground floor. The wall is yellowish-green, one of the homeowners’ favorite colors. Soft light from the inner courtyard enlivens the room. As in the living room, exposed ceiling structural members give the room a spacious feel.
This photo is of a 140-square-foot bedroom (not yet furnished) on the ground floor. The wall is yellowish-green, one of the homeowners’ favorite colors. Soft light from the inner courtyard enlivens the room. As in the living room, exposed ceiling structural members give the room a spacious feel.
The children’s room (seen mostly unfurnished) in the private building has Nordic-style tree-motif wallpaper. A loft is on the second floor. The floor is solid cedar board.
Chair: Civil chair, Kashiwa
Chair: Civil chair, Kashiwa
At the entrance, charred cedar combined with grayish stone and black slate has the elegance of a high-end traditional Japanese inn. The home’s exterior is charred cedar, a material used for traditional Japanese building exteriors. The owners will have the pleasure of watching the wood gradually acquire a silvery tint with the passage of time. It is also easy to maintain.
The family also enjoys barbecuing in the garden. The building is surrounded by a 20-foot-long engawa, the porch found in Japanese traditional homes where family members can sit for a snack or plop down for an afternoon nap.
At dusk, nautical-style lanterns light up to transform the mood and scene.
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Who lives here: A family of four
Location: Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Structure: Wood post-and-beam construction
Size: 1,310 square feet (121.7 square meters)
Designer-Builder: Harmonie Home
The first box is a single-story structure with a roomy interior and large windows facing a spacious lawn. The building contains the entrance, living room, guest rooms and other public areas. Its exterior is clad in yakisugi, Japanese cypress planks that have been charred and then washed and dried.