Kaida Architects Office First Class Architects Office

Hibarigaoka S house

Hibarigaoka S house
© Osamu Kurihara
Hibarigaoka S house
© Osamu Kurihara

HIBARIGAOKA S HOUSE

Kaida Architecture Design Office

ARCHITECTS
Kaida Architecture Design Office

LOCATION
Niiza, Japan

CATEGORY
House

YEAR
2015

PHOTOGRAPHS
Osamu Kurihara

STRUCTURAL DESIGN
Stl satoshi Isobe

AREA
86.0 m²

CONTRACTOR
 Sougou Kensetsu

Text description provided by architect.

The terrain of this building is located on the outskirts of tokyo, 15 minutes walk from the nearest station. The site is surrounded by roads on three of it sides, on the south side there is an intersection in T.

Hibarigaoka S house
© Osamu Kurihara
Hibarigaoka S house
© Osamu Kurihara
Hibarigaoka S house
© Osamu Kurihara

This intersection is enclosed by private homes and resembles a “community garden”. A big double door in the southern part of the site connects the entrance of the building to this “community garden”.

When both doors are opened it feels as though you are in a city cafe. To ensure the most efficient volume in this narrow site, the shape of the building is a simple rectangular parallelepiped.

The windows of the second and third floor are as large as possible to provide a continuity between the interior space and the “community garden”, but the balcony protects the privacy of the residents.

Hibarigaoka S house
© Osamu Kurihara
Hibarigaoka S house
© Osamu Kurihara
Hibarigaoka S house
© Osamu Kurihara

The interior looks and feels warmer and happier than the facade. Both ceiling and floors are made with cedar but the walls are painted in white to make it look like

A residence in the city rather than a lodge in the mountains. The walls of the small spaces such the bathroom and the warehouse are painted in vivid colors as an accent.

Usually staircases are narrow, but to avoid this feeling we tried to open this enclosed space as much as possible. With this method the staircase not only connects the floors but also connects the living spaces. The structural material of this building is wood. The beams and columns are made with cedar.

Cedar was a popular construction material since ancient times in Japan, but lately the use of this material is decreasing. The bark of this wood is gorgeous and we find it ideal for the interior design. We use domestic material in order to keep the forest sustainable. 

Hibarigaoka S house
© Osamu Kurihara


Hibarigaoka S house
First Floor Plan
Hibarigaoka S house
Second Floor Plan


Hibarigaoka S house
Third Floor Plan
Hibarigaoka S house
Section


Hibarigaoka S house
Section
Hibarigaoka S house
West Elevation


Hibarigaoka S house
East Elevation
Hibarigaoka S house
North Elevation


Hibarigaoka S house
South Elevation

Kaida Architects Office First Class Architects Office
Kaida Architects Office First Class Architects Office
2-Chome, Kohinata, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan