A pristine wrapping. House in Takamatsu by FujiwaraMuro Architects
09/12/2019.
[Takamatsu city - Kagawa Pref.] Japan
metalocus, ÁNGEL TORNE
metalocus, ÁNGEL TORNE
FujiwaraMuro Architects built a house for a couple with one child in Takamatsu, a port city on Japan’s Shikoku Island. The city is known for the sprawling Ritsurin Garden, with a teahouse, koi ponds, landscaped hills and pine forests.
The architects designed the house based on the client’s request for a building that occupies as much of the lot as possible, ensures privacy, has a built-in garage to showcase the family’s car, focusing on simple finishes rather than textured interiors featuring wood and other materials.
The architects designed the house based on the client’s request for a building that occupies as much of the lot as possible, ensures privacy, has a built-in garage to showcase the family’s car, focusing on simple finishes rather than textured interiors featuring wood and other materials.
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Photograph by Katsuya. Taira
Site plan. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
Ground floor plan. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
First floor plan. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
Section floor plan. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
Section floor plan. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
West elevation. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
East elevation. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
South elevation. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
North elevation. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
Conceptual diagram. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.Concept diagram. House in Takamatsu by Fujiwaramuro Architects.
FujiwaraMuro Architects designed the living-dining-kitchen area at the center of the lot, and all spaces unfold around this area, including a transparent built-in garage, separated by a glass wall. On the outside, the house was designed with four abstract-walls that fully enclose the property.
Inside each of the four corners has a void, as well as another one in the center of the building, to go into uniform natural light to the interior spaces. At the same time, these four corner voids incorporate the exterior environment into the building while maintaining privacy, creating an open-feeling space with strong connections to the outside world.
Inside each of the four corners has a void, as well as another one in the center of the building, to go into uniform natural light to the interior spaces. At the same time, these four corner voids incorporate the exterior environment into the building while maintaining privacy, creating an open-feeling space with strong connections to the outside world.
Project description by FujiwaraMuro Architects
Located in central Takamatsu, this residence is home to a couple with one child. The client requested that the building occupy as much of the lot as possible, ensure privacy, have a built-in garage that showcased their car, and have a reinforced concrete structure with simple finishes rather than textured interiors featuring wood and other materials. We responded with a proposal that placed the living-dining-kitchen area at the center of the lot with other spaces unfolding around it onto the entire property.
The building is composed from four exterior walls that fully enclose the property, with a void located inside each of the four corners as well as another in the center of the building. These five voids bring uniform light to the interior spaces, giving the living-dining-kitchen area a spacious, bright atmosphere despite its location on the first floor. The four corner voids incorporate the exterior environment into the building while maintaining privacy, creating an open-feeling space with strong connections to the outside world.
To keep the interior spaces simple, we used just four structural pillars. Cantilevers that extend horizontally from these columns support the first and second story floors and walls as well as the roof. Thanks to this arrangement, the exterior walls do not need to support the second floor or roof, which made possible the inclusion of long, thin slit windows that admit light from 360 degrees. This allows lines of sight to extend outside the building without compromising privacy.
The design also resulted in significant savings in the construction budget. The ground under the building is fairly soft and would have required extensive soil stabilization if an ordinary mat foundation were used. With our design, however, piles were required only under the four posts, reducing the soil stabilization budget to one quarter of what it would have been for a mat foundation.
More information
Architects
FujiwaraMuro Architects. Lead Architects.- Shintaro Fujiwara, Yoshio Muro.
Area
Built area.- 131.68 m². Site area.- 229.74 m². Total floor area.- 203.90 sqmt.
Dates
2019
Manufacturers
DELTA.- 63920LF / white faucet. REVIGRES.- flint marfim / tile. SK KAKEN co., Ltd.- cerami fresh-in / interior paint.
Photography
Shintaro Fujiwara, Yoshio Muro. FujiwaraMuro Architects
FujiwaraMuro Architects. Architecture firm founded by Shintaro Fujiwara and Yoshio Muro in 2002.
Shintaro Fujiwara. He was born in Osaka in 1974. He graduated from the University of Kinki, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Architecture, in 1997. Graduated from the University of Kinki, in 1999. Since 2002, based in Osaka, he has developed several housing projects from one-story houses to narrow houses, mainly in Kansai and Shikoku. He also designed stores, offices and clinics in Tokyo and Osaka.
Yoshio Muro. He was born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in 1974. He graduated from the University of Kinki, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Architecture, in 1999. Graduated from the University of Kinki, in 1999. Since 2002, based in Osaka, he has developed several housing projects from one-story houses to narrow houses, mainly in Kansai and Shikoku. He also designed stores, offices and clinics in Tokyo and Osaka.
Shintaro Fujiwara. He was born in Osaka in 1974. He graduated from the University of Kinki, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Architecture, in 1997. Graduated from the University of Kinki, in 1999. Since 2002, based in Osaka, he has developed several housing projects from one-story houses to narrow houses, mainly in Kansai and Shikoku. He also designed stores, offices and clinics in Tokyo and Osaka.
Yoshio Muro. He was born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in 1974. He graduated from the University of Kinki, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Architecture, in 1999. Graduated from the University of Kinki, in 1999. Since 2002, based in Osaka, he has developed several housing projects from one-story houses to narrow houses, mainly in Kansai and Shikoku. He also designed stores, offices and clinics in Tokyo and Osaka.
