Chiisai

AMA House

Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

One of my lecturer said he's bored of Japanese architecture because it's all the same plain squares, but this kind of minimalistic look always seems so "kawaii" to me (hahah).

Look at those tiny openings~ and the size of the building itself... also I like Japan's sliding doors XD

From the architect:

"Small House"

As the site is surrounded by rice fields, we planned “a small house” that the idyllic atmosphere and landscape. The entire volume of the house was first divided into individual rooms, their each concept were finally linked together taking account of factors such as connection of garden and room, entrance of light, ventilation, flow line of daily activities, etc. Also, to meet with the demand for a guest parking lot and family garden, we laid out the rooms across the site to secure two exterior spaces.

Multiple Viewpoint

Each room has different volume, finish, and openings. These differences were made to enhance deeper experience with elements by presenting more than one viewpoint on each element; for example, when the light enters from wide opening, it gives you different impression from the thin ray of light in a dark place. These elements can be trees in the garden, wind, internal openness, nuance of shadows, and communications between family members.

Connected Air

When opening the door, these rooms become “One single room with connections”. Although, unlike a general single room, it can not get a view of whole room, one room is visually connected with some and also connected with others beyond by air. Communication is prompted among the viewable rooms by the strong connection of visual element, and with the rooms out of sight by the senses other than visual sense. Subsequently, the light and wind streaming into a room, as well as the act and the sign of the family there are transmitted to the adjacent rooms, and are extended beyond.

Supplementary Architecture

The rooms expanded in the site functions as a house without being isolated functionally and spatially.  The important thing is that the rooms are connected.  The “connection” is formed by the persons and nature, and is not limited within the structure and the diagram of architecture. I think that the architecture is something that acts as a supplement of the “connected air “.