Alphaville Architects Co., Ltd.

Slice of the City

Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano

Slice of the City

Alphaville Architects

PHOTOGRAPHS
Toshiyuki Yano

AREA
50 m²

LOCATION
Japan

YEAR
2012

CATEGORY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

Nishinomiya is a city located between Osaka and Kobe. The site is situated in a residential neighborhood with typical block layout.

Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano

According to the local construction policy, there needs to be a fifty-centimeter setback from the site boundary, which allows a one-meter narrow gap between the houses.

Normally, each household will have the windows facing the public roads with the curtains shut to keep its privacy.

Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano

Therefore, openings as such are not providing the occupants with much light, ventilation or views.

In this project, we are seeking for a solution, which could bring sufficient daylight into the house without affecting the privacy. 

Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano

In this project, we are seeking for a solution, which could bring sufficient daylight into the house without affecting the privacy.

This west-east-directional void not only provides both part of the houses with natural light, and also ensures the internal ventilation by connecting the rooms to the open space.

Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano

The rooms are linked with staircases, which also bridge the two sides of the house and activate this void vertically.

To make it more dynamic, we make the staircases tilted and adjusted them to the windows.

Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano

So the occupants could enjoy the changing views from various angles.

Natural light, wind and greenery are inserted into the house through this void, which engages the house to its surrounding and contextualizes itself in the city subtly.

Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano

In this way, we hope the house could have a spatial dialogue with the nature and the city three-dimensionally via this slit-shaped open space, and have a comfort balance between freedom and privacy.


Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano
Slice of the City
© Toshiyuki Yano


Slice of the City
Elevation
Slice of the City
Elevation
Slice of the City
Elevation


Slice of the City
Diagram
Slice of the City
Diagram


Slice of the City
Sectional Perspective
Slice of the City
Sectional Perspective


Slice of the City
Section
Slice of the City
Structure

Alphaville Architects Co., Ltd.
T +81 7 53126951 F +81 7 53120416
Alphaville Architects Co., Ltd.
32 Kamihanada Saiin Ukyo-Ku Kyoto 615-0007, Japan