Takeshi Hosaka Architects: Daylight House, Tokyo

And so my obsession with all things Japanese continues. How’s a girl to move on when Japan keeps smashing out so much boundary pushing and obscenely beautiful work? This particular one deviates so far from my Western understanding of family living, it’s hard not to be both bewildered and amazed. Plus the ceiling has kindly given my eyeballs a nice little joy ride.

The concept for this house emerged from a tough set of constraints. Takeshi Hosaka architects needed to squeeze a family of four onto a tight site, crowded by overshadowing buildings on all sides. The final house is only a mere 74sqm.

Turning it’s back on the street, the building instead opens up to the sky. A series of skylights sit within the pockets of a gridded roof structure. At a lower ceiling level, arched acrylic sheets filter the light, creating a gentle glow as opposed to harsh shadows. In summer, the cavity between the ceiling and roof skin is ventilated and in winter it is fully enclosed, acting as an insulating pocket. With the full ceiling being exposed to daylight, the internal space is constantly coloured by the time of day and the seasons.

The walls of the internal spaces sit low within the five and half metre ceiling, allowing the rhythm of the ceiling to remain uninterrupted. The smaller “rooms” are open above, meaning that sound travels unfiltered. The bedrooms are more like small pods for sleeping rather than living spaces, encouraging family members to spend their time in the communal spaces. Although this house is very private from the street, the space strongly encourages social interaction within the house.

Whilst some aspects of living in this space make me a little hot around the collar, I’m simultaneously relishing all it’s peculiarities. It’s the kind of project that makes you hyper aware of the conventions we’ve accepted as the norm – and contemplate ways of challenging them.

Text by Ella Leoncio for Yellowtrace.