This small house for a couple was recently realised by KUS architects, and is located at the periphery of a residential area in Machida city, a suburb of Tokyo. Taking advantage of the characteristics of the site, a forested area that slopes upward on its north side, KUS took the interface with the natural environment as the fundamental theme of this project.

The dining room opens wide toward the south vegetable garden through a deep covered terrace to accomodate various activities. On the second floor, quiet study and living rooms face to the dining room, their large windows permitting good views of the north forest.
Those spaces are covered with the large sloped wooden roof and provide variations in the characters of the spaces, both active and quiet.

The wooden roof structure consists an alternating single- and double-beam construction.

Those are folded corresponding with the slope and the shape of the site. This deep cantilevered roof interrupts the strong sun during the summer season and makes the interior space comfortable without using an HVAC system. The radiant heating and cooling system is integrated with the rail around the double-height space. It will cool the wind from the south-facing vegetable garden in summer and warm the entire space with the floor heating and ceiling fan in winter. The architects realised their intent to create a comfortable and sustainable environment.


Architects: Eijiro Kosugi, Aya Utsumi / KUS
Structural engineers: Yukihiro Kato / MI+D
Lighting design: Yutaka Inaba / Forlights
Main contractor: Sansho kensetsu
Structure: timber structure
Floor: 2 story
Site area: 213.16m2
Building area: 68.40m2
Total floor area: 99.58 m2