House in Oyamadai

Set within a residential district governed by strict setback and greening mandates, this wooden residence navigates the balance between urban regulation and domestic intimacy. Although fronted by a narrow, four-meter-wide private road, the required setbacks and greenery allow the house to coexist at an approachable distance from its neighbors. Due to these constraints and the need to accommodate a garden and parking, the buildable footprint was significantly limited relative to the required program. This necessitated a vertical layout, with the basement and loft designated for storage, creating a lifestyle that unfolds across multiple levels. The building volume is composed of three staggered blocks, strategically positioned to secure consolidated outdoor spaces: a parking area on the street side and a private garden on the opposite. The central block serves as the heart of the home, featuring a staircase and a double-height atrium with expansive openings that unify the vertical progression of daily life. To prevent individual rooms from feeling enclosed, large-scale sliding doors and glass partitions were utilized, while windows were precisely aligned with gaps in the surrounding neighborhood to create a sense of spaciousness that exceeds the actual floor area. The contrast between the high-ceilinged, hall-like first floor and the more intimate second floor brings a rhythmic vitality to the vertical circulation, evoking the true joy of urban living.