Asymmetric House in Tourimachi slots between two buildings

The kitchen on the middle floor features   wooden cupboards, a tiled splash-back and a stainless steel worktop. A   staircase ascends up through the middle of all three, so all spaces had to   be organised around it. This arrangement also   creates a double-height space on the middle floor,   which is taken up by an open-plan living room, kitchen and dining area. «The clients wanted a well-lit and ventilated double house duplex to share with their parents,» said the architects, who have previously completed a bronze-coloured residence   and a   zigzagging   housing development. Wooden floors run throughout the house, complementing wooden shelving and furniture. The one on the level below features white   cupboards and functions as a space divider. Japanese studios SNARK and OUVI have slotted a six-metre-wide house with a lopsided roof between two buildings on the edge of a cemetery (+ slideshow). Located in Takasaki, a city in Japan’s Gunma Prefecture, the three-storey House in Tourimachi was designed by SNARK and OUVI to provide a home for two generations of one   family. The entrance is positioned on a side wall, sheltered beneath the overhanging eaves. Bedrooms are positioned at the front of the house on both of these floors, while the ground-floor bedroom is tucked away at the back. Project credits:
Architect: SNARK (Sunao Koase, Naoki Mashiyama),   OUVI (Shin Yokoo)
Structural engineer: Shin Yokoo/OUVI
General constructors: Miyasitakougyou
Ground floor plan –   click for larger imageFirst floor plan – click for larger imageSecond floor plan –   click for larger imageSection – click for larger image A set of exposed ceiling beams follow the same angle. The ground floor is entirely occupied by the house’s oldest occupants, while the two upper levels belong to the clients. «There is no wall built laterally to the beams   –   the beam creates a separation and delivers an open space,» they added. Rather than following a   rectilinear grid, this upper storey   juts out at an angle to create a protected balcony in one corner.