YIA Ishiue Yoshihiro Architectural Design Office
Homes with Scenic Views｜Custom Home Examples by Architectural Offices24Picks
Author: Qurasuki Editorial Department
In a home overlooking scenery, the landscape visible through windows becomes part of the residence, and the relationship between architecture and the surrounding environment shapes the impression of space. By providing openings tailored to the vistas spreading out before them—whether mountains, oceans, cityscapes, or gardens—interior spaces bring exterior landscapes close at hand. Beyond window size and placement, regulating sightlines using walls and ceilings can turn the framed view itself into a spatial element. Another appeal is how scenery shifting across times and seasons brings rich variety into daily life. We introduce custom-built examples by architectural firms to show how view-oriented homes are expressed architecturally in real residences.
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View of the two-story section for the younger generation. The deck terrace connects to the living room.
Archiplace
502 Palm House Hatsudai, 1-20-2 Honmachi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
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A living-dining room that gently encloses the courtyard. The living room is a single, high-ceilinged space, with subtle zoning created by floor-level changes and furniture that gently emphasizes the courtyard’s topography.
The large opening to the north blocks the intense sunlight while allowing the beautiful greenery, illuminated by the light, to be enjoyed. A swimming pool and flowing pond were placed along the edge of the woodland at the rear, which forms the other side enclosing the courtyard, gently surrounding a lawn where the children can run and play.
Troom
1-19-10-203 Seijo, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
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This home stands amid a tranquil rural landscape. To embrace the rice fields stretching out to the south and the distant mountain ranges, a generous roof was set over the house, allowing it to blend gently into its surroundings. In response to the desire to operate a small shop, a through earthen-floored passage was incorporated into the home, creating a configuration in which the shop and daily life are naturally connected. It is a space that feels both like a home and a shop, and both like a shop and a home, with a sense of calm and softness.
A residence for three generations—a family of five—located in the hilly and upland interior of Hiroshima Prefecture, where gentle mountains and pastoral fields spread. In the garden is a large weeping cherry that, as a regional symbol, is loved by the family and neighbors; in the cherry season acquaintances and friends visit for viewing, hold banquets and stay overnight. How to incorporate, harmonize with, and pass on this cherry—which has witnessed the family's growth and life, connected people, and lived with the town's changes—into the new home became a major theme.
The site is located on the mid‑slope of Mount Ikoma. It is a flag lot with access from the east; to the west are views of Osaka Bay, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge and the Rokko mountains, and to the north a cluster of cherry trees. The LDK is placed on the second floor to secure elevation and incorporate changing surroundings and vistas. A transparent entrance hall is located in the flagpole access strip, and intersecting stairs guide sightlines, connecting to the LDK through cuts in the ceiling and wall. A deep, L‑shaped, frame‑like balcony establishes continuity from interior to exterior. The ceiling is a modified gable form with exposed ascending rafters.
On a site overlooking a beautiful mountain range to the north, this is the final residence for a married couple. The project was planned to inherit materials and landscapes that have accumulated over a long period—such as a relocated early-Showa-period kominka (traditional farmhouse), a weeping cherry, susutake (smoke-darkened bamboo), and Taisho-period stained glass. Traditional materials—roof tiles, stone, earthen walls, lime plaster (shikkui), and solid timber—have been carefully reconstituted using contemporary craftsmanship. Balancing respect for history with a comfortable living environment for the future, it is a dwelling intended for living peacefully while sustaining the continuity of time.
This is a gut renovation that carries Japan’s first high-rise condominium, located in Minato-ku, into the present. While making use of the existing architectural value, glass blocks and mirrors create an expansive space in which light and sightlines flow continuously. The textures of materials such as Italian stucco, shell-lime plaster, and walnut are carefully layered, while the existing wood veneer and marble have also been reused. Vacuum glass and a unique ground-source heat pump further reconcile the memory of the architecture with comfort and environmental performance.
This residence is situated within Kamakura’s verdant surroundings. The site lies at the end of a narrow lane in a tranquil location with mountain views extending to the north and south. To capture these natural vistas, large two‑story‑high windows are provided on the north and south elevations, allowing views of the garden and surrounding greenery from the first‑floor living/dining/kitchen (LDK) and the second‑floor bedroom connected via a double‑height void. On the street side, wooden lattice doors are installed and curtains provided internally, enabling layered control of privacy through the modulation of sightlines and daylight.
This house in Toda City, Saitama Prefecture responds to an environment of surrounding factories, warehouses, and heavy traffic by adopting a closed composition toward the street. An internal courtyard brings in daylight and natural ventilation while maintaining separation from the exterior, creating a calm residential environment. By engaging with its context, the dwelling produces a rich, inward‑focused living realm.
A compact residence with a total floor area of approximately 22 tsubo, built on a hill overlooking the sea at Futtsu. The interior is configured like a studio with minimal partitioning, creating a generous sense of openness within a limited footprint. From the LDK (living-dining-kitchen) one can take in a sweeping view of Tokyo Bay, and the bathroom offers the luxurious prospect of Mount Fuji. A doma kitchen integrated with the entrance provides a light, direct circulation and immediate access to the garden. A small home for enjoying rich moments where sea and sky, landscape and daily life are gently connected.
This is a small, single-story house of 12 tsubo built on a sloping site adjacent to a mixed woodland in Moriyama Ward, Nagoya. The square building, gently placed on the mid-slope of a site with level changes, was planned under the theme "enveloping a sense of largeness within a small footprint." The interior is an open-plan, one-room layout with minimal partitions—a highly flexible space that carefully incorporates daily life, hobbies, and cherished furniture. Large openings face the woodland, allowing occupants to experience light and breeze shifting through the trees and the seasonal changes. It is a rich residence quietly connected to nature.
Embraced by the rich natural surroundings of a vacation-home development, the house is composed simply of two offset boxes placed on the shoulder of the existing slope and covered by a large roof. Taking advantage of the changes in elevation across the site, a covered terrace offering bird’s-eye views and a serene space with a high ceiling are arranged on the north side. Meanwhile, the south side features an intimate, light-filled space emphasizing horizontality and connected to a garden for leisurely walks. Together, these spaces create a variety of settings where the city-dwelling clients can spend time in nature with people close to them.
This villa for an art collector is sited on a north-facing slope. The rooms are linked in a bead-like sequence so that each movement presents a different view; the intent is to enable an embodied experience of nature rather than merely observing it. Window shapes and proportions vary from room to room, each framing a distinct landscape. In addition, the staircase connecting the first and second floors is deliberately located outdoors, creating a circulation path that ensures contact with nature as part of everyday life. The result is a quiet retreat where one can engage deeply with the natural environment, perceiving changes in light, breeze, humidity, and sound through the senses.
This is a glass house with a hybrid structure of steel, timber, and glass, built on a site of approximately 220 tsubo along the Tokigawa stream in the northwestern part of Saitama Prefecture, about 50 km from the city center. It faces the Chichibu mountain range and opens onto an environment where the clear stream and seasonal changes can be enjoyed. The second-floor living spaces are arranged with a circulatory flow, with a design that prioritizes an integrated thermal environment and abundant daylighting. Instead of providing openings in the exterior walls, the building is equipped with an environmental control system that combines horizontal louvers on projecting floors with gravity-driven (stack) ventilation, connected to topside mechanical exhaust.
A residence for a family of three located in a quiet residential neighborhood in Ryugasaki City, Ibaraki Prefecture. The design is characterized by a composition that combines three distinct volumes—the entrance volume, the private-room volume, and the living-dining-kitchen (LDK) volume—while embracing the rich surrounding environment. The spatial relationship to the exterior is carefully calibrated to protect privacy while nurturing connections with nature and family. Through a double-height stairwell, the individual spaces are gently linked. True to its name, “te to te (手と手),” it is a warm vessel for living that weaves bonds between the family and its surroundings.
This house, situated on a site a short distance from the station, accommodates a gentle coexistence of residence and office. The street-facing first floor is planned as an office, with spaces that extend to the south garden being flexibly used as a studio, exhibition area, and meeting space. Private areas are compactly arranged, while the garden-facing household/utility space is designed as a comfortable place to linger. On the second floor an open-plan living-dining-kitchen (LDK) overlooking the Akashi Strait is provided, creating a composition in which indoor and outdoor living integrate. The home is designed to accept the mild local climate as well as occasional severe wind and rain, enabling residents to enjoy a way of life unique to this site.
This is a two-family house located in a residential neighborhood in Sapporo. Taking advantage of the site, which is surrounded on three sides by roads and retaining walls, the house is configured to gently screen views from outside while opening broadly toward the forest of the adjacent park. The living and dining areas are arranged along the south side, allowing the family to share views of the forest and natural light. A cross-shaped layout centered on the kitchen, split levels, and a circulation loop create a gentle sense of connection among family members. High levels of insulation and airtightness, together with a ground-source heat pump, provide a comfortable living environment suited to life in Hokkaido.
This residence is located in a quiet residential neighborhood in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. While maximizing the greenery of the shrine to the south, the design aims for an expansive spatial quality reminiscent of a Parisian apartment. A three-dimensional composition of split-levels and high ceilings imparts a generous sense of openness to the home. Bookshelves fitted across the full extent of the east and west walls become the focal point of daily life, and light, breeze, and greenery entering through cross-mullioned windows and skylights enliven the spaces. Together with the textures of the materials, the house deepens in character as the family’s time accumulates.
This apartment renovation maximizes the views from the 10th floor. Situated on a site blessed with city views to the east and Mount Fuji to the southwest, the layout of private rooms and the kitchen was reorganized so that the landscape can be enjoyed in everyday life. The shared space opens widely toward the views, the previously underutilized east deck was regenerated as an outdoor room connected to the kitchen, and movable partitions were introduced to reconcile openness with flexible use, creating a living environment that balances spaciousness and adaptability.
A suburban tower condominium was renovated to suit the client’s lifestyle. Original furniture was carefully crafted piece by piece, while storage capacity was significantly expanded from the existing plan to improve everyday usability. Motorized honeycomb shades were adopted to make the most of the views. During the day, their high insulating performance helps regulate the indoor environment, while at night they can be recessed into the ceiling, creating a hotel-like home where the night view from 100 meters above ground can be enjoyed.
A combined clinic and residence for a physician specializing in sports medicine, planned on a site surrounded by the abundant nature of Awaji Island's east coast. While enjoying views of Osaka Bay and the green mountains, consideration was also given to the natural environment, including wind, insects, and damage from wildlife. The three volumes—the residence, the clinic, and the bath—are arranged at differing heights and connected by a linear 'engawa'. The 'engawa' functions not merely as a corridor but as a place to engage with nature. Operable mesh screens reconcile ventilation with insect protection, creating comfortable spaces in which to enjoy the landscape. The residence is intended to serve as a base for fostering new connections with the local community.
This house stands on a 100-square-meter site along Kyoto’s Takano River, overlooking the Matsugasaki Hills. Under the stringent conditions of a Special Scenic District, it makes the most of the limited floor area while achieving a spacious, expansive interior. A structural framework that draws on the individual characteristics of reinforced concrete, wood, and steel brings wind, light, sound, and the surrounding landscape into the home. It creates diverse places to inhabit between inside and outside, offering an open and spacious way of living that gently connects the city with nature.
This home stands on a corner lot in a suburban residential area. While incorporating the park resembling a natural woodland to the east as borrowed scenery, the design considers privacy from the road and places the center of daily life on the second floor. Continuous openings from the kitchen through the dining area to the living room, together with varying ceiling heights, create a sense of expansiveness. The living room features a built-in sofa raised by one step, while a study nook allows the occupants to enjoy the view. The subdued interior color palette, mono-pitched roof, and exterior with varied materials create a quiet, modern impression.
This home is located on a sloping site in a newly developed new town. Making use of the difference in elevation, terraces were provided for each room on the second floor and for the bathrooms, bringing the expansive views characteristic of a sloping site into everyday life. A soundproofed hobby room in the semi-basement accommodates a wide range of activities, including concerts, golf practice, and a play area for the children. It is a home rich in activities, allowing the family to make the most of their weekends without leaving the house.
This fully separated two-family house stands on a site with significant changes in elevation along a railway line. Taking advantage of roads on both the east and west sides, the entrances are separated, with future conversion to rental use also considered in the planning. The parents’ household on the first floor has an LDK connected to the garden, while the younger family’s second floor features a spacious deck with views. A device that allows the parents’ light to filter through a skylight in the deck conveys a sense of the other generation’s presence and nurtures a considerate way of living together.
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