Anna Nakamura and Taiyo Jinno formed the firm EASTERN design to perfect their minimalist sentiments. This house, located in Gojo Kyoto, is comprised of two stories of reinforced concrete and occupies just over 1,500 square feet. The client for this house is a craftsman who puts crests on Japanese clothes. The portholes in this design are used to reflect that same emblem time and again (such as is seen on the facade with circular holes).
The primary design was used "to lift the one-storied house to the sky" according to Jinno. A concept was developed to make "two outside spaces placed among three inside spaces," thus echoing the timeless Japanese practice of questioning what is "inside" and what is "outside." The arrangement of the spaces from the street side to the back is in such an order: inside, then outside, then inside, then outside, then in. What lies in the very middle is the living space; what lies towards the periphery are bedrooms and more functional areas (bathroom, laundry, etc.).
All in all, this is a design which maximizes the ability of light to divide a house into functional areas. The concrete is fully realized as a material capable of accentuating dramatic lighting and the consideration of the client is also fully appreciated. It is one more reason why, as a designer, I remain fascinated with what the Japanese can accomplish.
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