Itauba House | Masaki Moritani

After a long plot search started in 2007, by the spring of 2010 this site was found, by chance, nearby our office in Hirano Ward, Osaka. We proceeded rapidly, so that we were able to complete the construction before the end of the same year. During the design process, we faced several challenges. First of all, since the budget was 20 million yen (170 thousand dollar), the plan was simplified, until site boundaries in order to reduce waste in the line of flow, and we decided to set one room for each floor: on first floor, bedroom and wet area; on second floor, living-dining room and kitchen; on third floor, children's room. We piled up three layers of 33 m2 within a site of 66 m2. The sun exposition of the site is satisfactory but, in order to obstruct the view of an apartment building built on the opposite side of the street, we covered the south façade with wooden brise soleil. We build these brise soleil and the balcony decks by self-construction, since the client himself is employed in a construction company, and as material we choose a South American wood called Itauba. Itauba wood is hard and, although after a certain time it turns gray, we decided not to paint it, thinking that once turned gray the façade could become extremely beautiful. External walls, in order to contain the costs, are covered with an inexpensive siding. Balcony decks and brise soleil, while filtering light and wind, also put in relation the living room on second floor and the children’s room balcony on third floor. Going out, the children can speak with their parents at the lower floor. In this way we can bring them outside the building, so that they can enjoy the exterior. Thanks to large windows, it will be possible in the future to look at the blossoming June-berry we choose to put outside. It is a sumptuous tree: flowers, berries and autumnal colors are all impressive. From the beginning of the project, the total amount of the costs – from construction costs to miscellaneous expenses – were public. “We decided this,” said the client, “because we wanted to let people know that, even without finding many sites and limited by a fixed budget, building the house you’re thinking of it’s possible, if you persevere”.