This Minimalist Japanese Home Pivots Around an Indoor Garden
An indoor/outdoor courtyard allows tree branches to graze the ceiling of this narrow Osaka residence.
When a young family requested a home in which they could "feel green," Satoshi Saito of SAI Architectural Design Office took the directive to heart.
"A home that feels green is not just a home where you can see the green from anywhere, but a home where the residents actively use the external space and grow together with the green," says Saito. "Taking a nap under a tree, touching a leaf, planting a tree or flowers, spending time directly feeling the wind, and smelling greenery is less common now in urban societies. I thought that I could create an original experience of this rich life that is being forgotten."
Set on a narrow, 18-foot-wide site, Melt House presents a corrugated exterior.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
Melt House, as the project is known, is located at the foot of a mountain in a residential part of Osaka and set on a narrow site that’s just 18 feet wide. To make the best use of space, Saito boldly brought the garden inside. Placed at the center of the house, the double-height, courtyard-like area acts like a multifunctional room.
The home essentially comprises two structures that are unified by a double-height, courtyard-like space with clerestory windows allowing for ample natural light.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
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The centerpiece of this indoor/outdoor space is a "dry garden," providing some green space in place of an exterior yard. Sliding doors partition the space from the outside.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
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ShopThe courtyard joins the two wings of the home. One houses a traditional, Japanese room with a double-height living room and second-floor loft . The other contains two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and the open kitchen and dining room. "The plan brings plenty of natural light and ventilation into the house, even though it is a long and narrow building," says Saito. "By placing the dry garden between the dining room and the living room, you can use it daily and live with greenery."
The courtyard is an extension of the living room, which can be separated by a folding glass door. The angled roofline and clerestory windows are visible above the second-story bedroom window.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
On the opposite side of the courtyard are the dining room and kitchen.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
The view from the dining room.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
Interior windows on the second story look out over the courtyard and also benefit from the greenery.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
Curved walls contribute to a sense of harmony with nature.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
The entrance to the home—the genkan—is where guests remove their shoes in a Japanese house. Here, it conveniently features built-in storage cabinets.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
The second-level loft area glows at night.
Photo by Norihito Yamauchi
SAI Architectural Design Office
SAI Architectural Design Office
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Project Credits:
Architect of record: SAI Architectural Design Office
Structural design: Ippei Yasue
Engineering: Ikesyo Corporation
Landscape: Inamoto
Photo credits: Norihito Yamauchi
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