Tokyo-based practice horibe naoko architect office have recently completed the 'house in kyobate' for a couple and their two children in nara-shi, japan. a wooden cube is extracted from the corner of the neutral two-storey elevation, cantilevering above the perimeter plantings and forecourt. addressing the street, the windowless facade and extracted volume alludes to the programmatic hierarchy within the interior of the home. a japanese tatami room is contained within the box,featuring a partial enclosure with an open corner to act as a mezzanine.
Placed at the vertical midpoint of the structure, inhabitants are offered a vantage point to oversee the activity occurring within the upper and lower levels. windows within the internal partitions create opportunities for cross-communication through the full-height atrium from the combined living, dining and kitchen to the first floor bedrooms. aerial views of the central area are framed through intermittent bands of windows, experienced as dwellers climb a stair which wraps the perimeter wall.