Arcinspiration

Japanese house that blocks all views to and from the street but still draws light and air inside.

The single-storey house by Satoshi Kurosaki and architects Apollo is located in a residential neighborhood in Hodogaya Ward, Yokohama.

A wall behind the public approach allows for only a glimpse of the private courtyard within.

The windowless perimeter wall and a winding alley from the entrance give privacy to its single resident by leading visitors around the back of the living space.

Black floating steps creep up the courtyard wall to a terrace.

Large glass doors allow in light from the main courtyard and can be slid open to extend the living area.

Like boxes within a box, the living space and bedroom sit as separate elements within the perimeter wall but remain connected to the two courtyards and each other.

The client requested a house with an internal courtyard that would eliminate the differences in elevation throughout the site while ensuring a sense of privacy and comfort.

In response, we decided to model the facade after a simple box encircled by the walls of the building.

In order to prevent the interior from becoming just a simple one-room space, we considered each of the necessary components to be a “story.”

Opening the door reveals a partial glimpse of the private courtyard that extends beyond the slender window in front of you.

The house is laid out in such a way that you can bypass and go around the long, narrow alley to arrive at the main living area.

The bedroom, a small breakaway space that lines up with the large central portion of the building while being detached from it, also connects to the backyard, which is itself linked to the dressing room.

All of these living spaces were designed to invariably face the exterior while also ensuring a certain level of privacy.

Two different spaces and two gardens, laid out with a slight lateral deviation between them: a complex, nuanced interior was created just using a series of simple manipulations.

In contrast to the simple facade that resists being influenced by the exterior environment, a unique, individual and complex worldview takes shape within the interior of the house.