House with Light Void

House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira

HOUSE WITH LIGHT VOID

FujiwaraMuro Architects

YEAR
2020

AREA
61 m²

PHOTOGRAPHS
Katsuya. Taira

MANUFACTURERS
New Light Pottery, Saint-gobain, Kousei

DESIN TEAM
FujiwaraMuro Architects

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Shintaro Fujiwara, Yoshio Muro

LOCATION
Japan

CATEGORY
Houses, House Interiors

Text description provided by architect.

This residence is located in a residential neighborhood slightly removed from a busy thoroughfare.

House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira

Although the setting did not offer ideal views, the lot is bound on three sides by streets with houses on the other side, making it easy to avoid unwanted visibility.

Responding to the client’s desire for privacy, we avoided locating large windows where they would be noticeable from outside and instead constructed two layers of external walls on the second story, with openings in the inner layer to let in light and breezes.

House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira

Inside, five tower-like boxes finished in cement plaster occupy the center and four corners of the structure. Light enters these towers through voids in their upper portions.

The space between the towers contains the first-floor living-dining-kitchen area, which features a 4.5-meter-high ceiling.

House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira

Looking up, one glimpses pieces of sky framed by the openings in the tops of the towers.Sunlight scatters off the walls, creating a living environment filled with soft light.

House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira

The towers contain small rooms that offer cozy, enclosed spaces in contrast to the interconnected living-dining-kitchen area.

House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira

The central tower is entered via a ladder from the ground floor, and contains a room measuring 2 jo (about 3.6 square meters) where residents can relax and enjoy views of the sky through the glass overhead.

House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira
House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira

The house includes a number of similar small spaces without predefined uses, such as a crawl space under the floor, a lookout-like area to climb to, and a sunroom and balcony on the second floor.

House with Light Void
© Katsuya. Taira


House with Light Void
Section A
House with Light Void
Section B


House with Light Void
North Elevation
House with Light Void
East Elevation


House with Light Void
First Floor Plan
House with Light Void
Second Floor Plan
House with Light Void
Roof Plan