komi house/House in Tainai

The site is in Shimotakada, Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture.
There is a broad field in a rural settlement a short distance from the city center and close to the coastline, part of which is 100-tsubo (330 square meters) land with permission to use it for non-farming purposes.
A house was built for a couple and their two children on the land.

What was required?
The development of an environment that can accommodate many visitors and allow everyone to gather.
A sports ground where children can enjoy sports such as football and tennis to the fullest.
And a variety of places for family members to spend time as they please.

As the land extends far and wide, surrounded by fields with no clear boundaries, the house would be exposed to weather conditions and visible to passers-by.
The challenge was to achieve an openness suitable for entertaining guests while providing a protected habitat for a small family.

Therefore, the plan was to place two structures - an entrance structure and a residential structure - at either end of this large, seemingly endless site, thereby cutting off and softly enclosing the site.
The space between the two wings is called ‘Aida no Ma’ (in-between extent), which is a large playground and garden that can accommodate a variety of activities.
The 'Aida no Ma' complements the coziness of the residential structure and, at the same time, acts as a boundary to ensure the privacy and the security of the area.

The entrance structure is also used as a tennis wall and football goal, and under its large eaves as a storage area.
The presence of the entrance structure viewed from the residential structure, makes the small residential structure feel extended and larger.
Another structure, which is always visible, creates a sense of security in this sprawling site, as if there were more neighbors.

The residential structure is a two-story wooden house with a height of 4.0 m from the ground floor to the floor of the second floor.
Within the large air space created by this, the space above the intermediate beams and the loft are combined into an 'Aida no Kai’ (in-between floor).
The second floor at the end of the 'Aida no Kai' has a large children's room, a master bedroom, and a bathroom.
The 'Aida no Kai' supports activities and objects that cannot be contained on the first and second floors; for example, various interior decorations and hammocks can hang from the beams, and the loft can be a place for the children to play.

Characteristic braces are used at the boundaries between the indoor and outdoor areas of the residential structure to create a fully open and floating veranda space.
This is another 'in-between' area between the exterior and interior, providing a gentle link between outdoor and indoor activities.

The boundaries, ‘Aida no Ma’ (in-between extent) and ‘Aida no Kai’ (in-between floor), are planned with more space than usual on this sprawling site and seem to provide a connection rather than a separation, while maintaining a reasonable degree of privacy.

completion
nov.2020
type
architecture
principal use
housing
total floor area
100㎡
structure
wood
location
Tainai-city
project architect
Ryoichi Aida
structural design
Tetsuya Tanaka(Tetsuya Tanaka Structural Engineers)
contractor
Yoshiharu ogata(Ogata Construction shop)
photograph
©Tetsuya Tsurumi
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