Tanabata House

Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura

Tanabata House

Meguro Architecture Laboratory

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Eiko tomura landscape architects

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Mitsuru Hirai, Sayu Yamaguchi

MANUFACTURERS
IOC Flooring, LIXIL , Toto, UNIWOOD

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Tatsumi Terado Structural Studio

MAIN CONTRACTOR
Show Yo

PHOTOGRAPHS
Koichi Torimura

AREA
85 m²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Musashino, Japan

CATEGORY
Houses

Tanabata House is a small house (85.23 m2) designed for 4 family members a husband who is a university lecturer, his wife, and their 2 elementary school children. It is located in a residential area west of Tokyo called Musashino City.

Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura

The city is rich in nature with various kinds of wide plants, trees, parks, and rivers. Tanabata House: a house with a terraced garden - Tanabata House is on a corner plot of a small junction that normally becomes waterlogged during a rainy season.

Due to the site condition, we designed a terraced garden at the corner of the land and installed 40cm. high concrete curbs along the boundary between the garden and the road.

Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura

The terraced garden is beneficial for serving various types of outdoor activities such as outdoor playgrounds and BBQ party space. It is very likely that the garden will be regularly used.

As a result, we proposed to plant wildflowers and trees such as berry and mulberry trees because they are strong and low-maintenance plants even when trampled over.

Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura

Moreover, they also coexist with other plants commonly found in Musashino City. This is the reason why we named it Tanabata House.

“Uchi niwa” (Inner garden): a neutral space ensuring loose connection - While the terraced garden is the outer garden, “Uchi niwa” is the inner one. It is a large double-height space located on the first floor with no partition and furniture. “

Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura

Uchi niwa” is designed to physically and visually connect to other spaces, both horizontal & vertical, and interior & exterior.

According to its characteristics, it helps to blur the boundaries between other functions both horizontally and vertically and provides a sense of spaciousness between inside and outside.

It is an open space with no dedicated function. Therefore, it can serve multiple purposes depending on user demands, time, and situation. 

Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura

This makes the “Uchi niwa” neutral and resilient spaces that are able to respond to any changes.

For example, “Uchi niwa” can serve as a working space when the father brings out reading materials for his research.

It will be a place for children to do their homework after school or used as a playground on a rainy day.

Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura

It is a relaxing area for the family to spend time together on the weekends. On a special occasion when there are guests visiting, the dining room can be changed to a guest bedroom by closing movable partitions, and “Uchi niwa” will be used temporarily as the dining area.

Furthermore, “Uchi niwa” also visually connects to the terraced garden through a large bay window. Along the borderline between inside and outside, we designed a built-in long bench.

Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura
Tanabata House
© Koichi Torimura

When sitting on the bench looking outside through the bay window, the boundary between inside and outside is blurred.

It is perceived as interior space extending outside. It can be said that “Uchi niwa” ensures the loose connection in terms of the flow of activities and human relationships. It is also the access point to connect the house to the outside environment.


Tanabata House
Diagram
Tanabata House
Section


Tanabata House
Plan - First floor
Tanabata House
Plan - Second floor