Photography courtesy of No.
555 celebrates everyday life by building in an enchanting casualness. See, for instance, the Vertical Alley, their live/work tower for a couple in Tokyo, and their Wabi-Sabi Surf Shack built from insulation blocks and tarps.
Located in Utazu’s old town within walking distance of all the grandparents, the structure is finished in Belgian cement board and harmonizes height-wise with the neighboring traditional houses.
Its entry and the interior passageways, principal architect Takaya Tsuchida explains, are abstracted versions of torii, the gates fronting Japanese temples and shrines that mark the transition from the mundane to the sacred.
The all-over open shelving of waxed larch plywood is admittedly not for neatniks, but provides convenient landing places for plants, toys, books, and sunglasses. The structural supports are the same painted wood-wool cement board as on the exterior and the partitions are painted plywood.
The steel wood stove is a custom design.
The life of the house revolves around the central kitchen and dining area.
The dining table is another No. The glass doors—framed in wood finished with Osmo white wood wax—lead to the sunroom.
The bedrooms are partitioned with curtains.
Of the contiguous spaces, Tsuchida says, “The goal is to be a home that always adapts to the family. By connecting, dividing, and moving, the grid accepts future changes—a child’s room may become a future reading room or hobby room. The space divides cells.”
Above L: Each bedroom has a built-in desk. Above R: The lone family bath has a wide enameled-steel sink made by Toto for lab use.
The house is in a neighborhood of traditional houses.
“The Australian plants have a wild appearance that matches the surface of the building. That’s why we chose them.”
A tarp provides shade for the sun room.
The “annex ” is stepped back from the road.
The annex is use to store bikes and other equipment and as a workshop.
The plywood paneled upstairs offers prime views of the town and has become a kid’s hideout.
A 3-D plan of the flexible gridwork interior.