Takao Shiotsuka

10 houses . Oita

Takao Shiotsuka . Photos © Toshiyuki Yano / Nacasa & Partners Inc . architecture lab

There is the ten houses group in the suburban hill country. The site is next to existing old hamlet, a small mountain, a field, the elementary school etc...

The existing hamlet is arranged with the rule with each original building through long time. As a result, they form a spontaneous figure fitting the environment of the circumference.
We imitated the figure and planned them. They seem to be extension of the existing hamlet not a housing development arranged orderly.
In Existing hamlet, the buffer zone for the mutual life of the yard, a field and a waterway, a barn, etc. not to collide was between houses.
Therefore we installed an element for an artificial small hill and a promenade, a bench and a field, a terrace to mediate communication between a house.
Relations between inhabitants become the sustainable village by can coordinate the degree of the communication. We aimed at it.

We designed three different types (one-story house of the flying geese pattern,) to have the same floor space toward. These houses are made with the simple system that the versatility such as Japanese traditional dimensions standard or the wooden method of construction is high and the application of the minimum. The resident chooses a type to family constitution and a lifestyle.
All the wall openings of each dwelling unit are prepared with the same size based on a standard module size. The installation height of a window is changed, respectively depending on how where the use of the room and the scenery from a window are in sight.
In a common residence, the global image of a house can be imagined from the outside with the form and the position of a window. However, in this building, it cannot imagine easily which room is what use from the exterior. As a result, when such a building accomplished a group, unique rows of houses were produced.