Japanese architect Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates has designed a house in Ise,  Japan.

The building is composed of two volumes arranged in parallel. A vertical void links the rooftop terrace and the light court on the first floor, drawing nature into the interior.

Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates

House in Ise, image courtesy Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates

+ Project description by Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates

The building is located on high ground with lust greenery and a bluff that overlooks the beautiful Miyagawa-River flowing north-south through Ise City. The Intention was to create a rich relationship between the house and these surroundings.

House in Ise - Floor plans, drawing courtesy Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates

The building is composed of two volumes arranged in parallel. A vertical void links the rooftop terrace and the light court on the first floor, drawing nature into the interior.

On the first floor, a horizontal void connected directly to the vertical one opens up a view of Miyagawa River. The interaction of these external voids – the way they intersect and connect with interior spaces – generates richer, more complex scenery throughout the building as a whole.

House in Ise, image courtesy Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates

Rooms are arranged around the light court, which extends into the entrance such that Miyagawa River bursts into view when the door is opened. The eastern volume’s first floor contains the living, dining and kitchen areas central to everyday life. The large opening dug from its northern end offers dramatic views of Ise and Miyagawa. The aluminum flooring’s dull sheen gently amplifies the illumination from the light court and reflects a variety of natural transitions onto the white interior.

The second floor contains family space and a bedroom in an enclosed area with a sloped ceiling. Milky-white natural light entering through slits in the roof wraps the interior in a soft, subdued atmosphere.

House in Ise, image courtesy Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates

The western volume’s first floor contains the garage and a study. The long, relatively low opening in the study enables eyes weary from reading to rest with a view of the abundant greenery outside.

House in Ise, image courtesy Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates

The rooftop terrace and light court are open to Miyagawa area’s natural scenery and afford excellent vantage points for the summer fireworks festival. The building’s white exterior walls both reflect the fresh green of spring and catch the shadows cast by bare branches under the setting sun of late autumn. Such changing scenery is sure to create precious memories for the family that calls this house home.

House in Ise, image courtesy Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates

+ Project credits / data

Architect: Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates | http://www.yamaguchi-a.jp
Project: House in Ise
Location: Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Typology: Private house

+ All images and drawings courtesy Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates