Lydia Dawson
While awaiting the Winners, prepare for the upcoming Architizer Vision Awards, honoring the best architectural photography, film, visualizations, drawings, models and the talented creators behind them. Despite its extremely limited lot size, YUUA Architects and Associates‘ project epitomizes the vitality of the inherently Japanese concern with staging and social aspects of architecture.
The building’s entire street-facing façade overlooking a quiet residential neighborhood is fully glazed: the windows allows natural light to enter during the day while concealing the occupants from outside views, preserving the core idea of intimacy. Starting with the first floor, the role of vertical communication is taken over by a rear spiral staircase, which connects the study, living area, and the loft space, including a bathroom, washroom, and a small terrace nestled in the middle of the building’s length.
Two skylights serve to illuminate parts of the house furthest from the windows, while the orientation of the fenestrated façades and the utilization of an air circulator facilitate natural ventilation. Using a steel-frame construction method to minimize columns and beams and maximize the interior space, the architects were able to form small volumes that feel both interconnected and functionally distinct.
While awaiting the Winners, prepare for the upcoming Architizer Vision Awards, honoring the best architectural photography, film, visualizations, drawings, models and the talented creators behind them.
