筒井紀博空間工房

ARCHITECTURE・INTERIOR・FUNITURE・SIGN・LANDSCAPE

This residential project is comprised of a two-generation family home on a lot approximately 130 sqm in a suburban residential area.

The first floor residence for the first-generation inhabitants was designed to be completely wheelchair accessible. The second floor is a split-level floor structure with varying spatial volumes depending on the usage of the spaces.

As a precondition, each family member was provided with their own private room. A courtyard with a high degree of privacy was placed in the center of the building, and spaces were laid out in a spiral pattern, each with its own function, while respecting the distance between each family member.

On the second floor, indoor and outdoor spaces are intermingled, creating a spatial composition with seven layers in plan. These seven layers naturally bring in the presence of the outdoors into daily life, allowing for a variety of expressions depending on the time and season. The architectural design is subdued, allowing the high-end furniture, display items, and people living there to a bring sense of harmonic balance to the interior space.

On the first floor, each room faces the courtyard, allowing the residents to have an intimate connection to the outdoors and the circulation was designed to stimulate daily interaction. The interior design differs from that of the second floor in that it has a sense of formality and warmth.

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, intergenerational family homes have become increasingly popular. As there can be no systematic application of design, however, the approach here was to provide comfortable spaces where each family member can interact on their own terms, with complete spatial autonomy for the homes of each generation.

The more inhabitants, the more complicated the solution becomes, but this design illustrates the results of collaboration with the owner in the process of building the house and discovering solutions. It is in that process that familial bonds are often fostered.