Akatsuka House | MDS Architectural Studio

A house should act as a shelter against natural environments and outside noises. But it is necessary to keep an appropriate sense of distance with the outside, instead of completely isolated from it so that one can feel the atmosphere of the nature and surrounding environments. In the same way, it is important to provide a subtle sense of distance among family members regarding privacy and communication.

The site is a former farmland converted to residential land, which is situated between rural and urban areas. In order to maintain privacy of the house, it is necessary to consider views looking down from above, as well as views from the street level, since middle- to high-rise buildings are starting to be built around the area. The large simple pitched roof, with extended eaves at low height, prevents the house from being seen from above. A calm space is kept at the center of the house, away from the outside noise. In the plan, three distorted walls are arranged in a ring shape, sheltering the house from being seen from outside. In the section, various degrees of distance are designed between inside and outside by adjusting a distortion between the roof and the walls.

The interior consists of a space defined by the ring-shaped walls and the remaining space. Distances between the two spaces are diverse, corresponding to size, direction, position or thickness of the “openings” at the border of these spaces. Various “distances among family members” are provided in the space.This house, on the edge of the urban area of Tokyo, is totally different from one in nature