Mochizuki Architectural Atelier

House with Outdoor Living Space｜Custom Home Examples by Architectural Offices18Picks｜An Additional Living Room Where Interior and Exterior Merge

Author: Qurasuki Editorial Department

Outdoor living is an approach that treats exterior spaces—terraces, decks, courtyards and the like—as extensions of the living room, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior to enrich daily life. A timber deck that connects seamlessly at floor level through large openings, deep eaves or covered terraces that allow occupants to feel the outdoors even on rainy days, and fences and planting schemes that protect privacy while maintaining a sense of openness—by integrating these elements with the architecture, a lifestyle that dissolves into the natural context is achieved. The design practice, through interviews about site orientation, the surrounding environment, and family routines, proposes outdoor spaces that are as comfortable as interior rooms. Explore these residential examples that treat the exterior as living space.

House with Outdoor Living Space

Black Box - Shibuya H

Takeshi Hirobe Architects

Located in a residential neighborhood in the heart of Tokyo, this home was designed around the theme of enclosing a soft way of life within a black outer skin. Centered on a generous courtyard, it gently connects the interior and exterior while forming a warm space with its timber frame left exposed. The alleyway leading from the entrance to the courtyard and the soft light filtering through the stained glass help residents shift their state of mind from the bustle of the city to the home. Through the courtyard and light extending across the void, the house nurtures a rich way of living with nature in the city.

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*studioLOOP Architects

This home for a couple and their three children richly embraces the family’s hobbies and individual places to be. Taking advantage of the view toward the Tone River embankment extending to the southwest, the LDK is positioned in the best location on the site. The wet areas, walk-in closet, entrance, and atelier are connected in an L-shaped configuration, creating a garden protected from the outside. A workspace, tatami area, and mortar-enclosed kitchen provide places for each family member to enjoy their own time, while a bookshelf that also serves as a staircase gently connects the LDK and workspace.

House in Saito Aominami

ARCHIXXX Satoru Shinno Architectural Design

This home is located in a newly developed new town. To protect privacy from the surrounding houses, the second-floor living/dining/kitchen area, bathroom, and terrace are enclosed by exterior walls, creating an inward-facing configuration reminiscent of a courtyard house. While limiting views from outside, natural light and ventilation are brought in from above, creating a comfortable living environment without a sense of enclosure. The first floor is designed as a pilotis-like driveway, allowing cars to pass through the parking area. Making the most of the site conditions, the home balances ease of living with privacy.

House in Toda

KASA ARCHITECTS

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 Home Living with Plants

Tatsumi Negishi Architectural Studio

This is a residence for which we assisted beginning with the site selection. The client had long working hours and wanted a timeless space for relaxing with plants in their leisure time. Making use of the site’s characteristics, the living room, a deck for enjoying wine and outdoor meals, and a garden of flowers and greenery were arranged as a continuous spatial sequence, blurring the boundaries. Interior and exterior are unified, creating a home in which plants are an integral part of daily life.

Fproject

Naoko Matsumoto Architects & Associates

A mixed-use complex of a two-family residence and rental housing in reinforced concrete. By placing a courtyard within a deep lot, natural light and greenery reach the shared areas and the deep parts of the units, creating a pleasant urban environment. A stainless steel mesh stair and cast-concrete balcony parapets formed with cedar boards of varying profiles produce a façade rich in light-and-shadow. The plans, tailored to each household's lifestyle, keep the courtyard and garden close at hand and include amenities such as a tea room and an extensive workspace to nurture residents' hobbies and rich daily life.

＋UMI — Renovation Design Contest Jury Special Prize / TDY Remodel Smile Works Contest (TOTO) Excellence Award

YIA Ishiue Yoshihiro Architectural Design Office

This renovation transformed a residence overlooking the Seto Inland Sea into a space where the landscape and daily life resonate together. A deck that opens broadly toward the sea was created as an outdoor living area, and the layout was arranged so the presence of the sea can be perceived from the interior at all times. An open kitchen is positioned at the heart of the home, enabling cooking while enjoying the view and conversation. The residence also includes a home theater for film viewing, which can be used as a single expansive space when hosting guests. It is a dwelling that carefully shapes a rich lifestyle lived in harmony with the sea.

Garage House by the Kizugawa River

In-Ex Design Co., Ltd.

This house was conceived from a site condition with an approximate 1.2 m level change and the owner's passion for cars and motorcycles. The approach from street level gently guides you toward the courtyard while offering views of the garage; beyond it, the living spaces unfold in a striking composition. The courtyard, positioned between the garage and the living/dining/kitchen (LDK), blurs the boundary between interior and exterior and expands the stage for daily life. The interior is unified in achromatic tones except for the texture of wood, providing a backdrop that accentuates the presence of cherished belongings. It is a residence filled with abundant living spaces in which both inside and outside are fully and deliberately inhabited.

House in Kita-Mikunigaoka

Abax Architects

This is a full renovation of a two-story reinforced concrete residence. The existing large single-pitched roof volume was retained and reconfigured into an open living-dining area. The Irohamomiji (Japanese maple) and cherry tree remaining on the site were carefully preserved, and a new terrace was introduced to incorporate them, creating a plan in which interior and exterior are gently connected. Furthermore, the bathroom was arranged as a semi-outdoor space, realizing a resort-like environment where one can relax while experiencing nature. It is a revitalized residence that enhances the quality of daily life while bringing out the existing charm.

Tea House

Yoshihiro Ito Architect & Associates

This residence is located in a residential neighborhood near a major road. A courtyard brings light and air deep into the house while incorporating the greenery of the park extending along the street frontage. The spaces are gently divided with the eye level of floor seating in mind, while carefully designing the sense of distance between people, the wind, and furniture and other objects. Rather than clearly separating the spaces with walls, the house gives architectural form to invisible “intervals”—light, air, and subtle presence—creating a quiet sense of connection.

A House with a Deck Opening onto the View

AtelierMA

Taking advantage of its elevated site, this home creates a gentle connection between the interior, the exterior, and the distant landscape. Within its simple, box-shaped exterior, an open LDK integrated with a large timber deck unfolds, extending the sightline toward the distant scenery. The carefully arranged bathroom and open-riser staircase draw the flow of light and air throughout the living space. External blinds and horizontal windows subtly adjust the environment, bringing a rich sense of expansiveness and comfortable breathing room to everyday life.

House with Forest Windows

Yosuke Tomiya Architectural Design Co., Ltd.

Seeking a lifestyle with views of the forest, the residents spent approximately two years searching for land before finding this home, with a natural woodland spreading across its eastern side. Rather than simply looking out at the forest, the design is centered on opening everyday life itself toward nature. The layout allows residents to encounter a different view each time they move through the home, via the entrance earthen-floored space, split levels, and an open-riser staircase. A wood-burning stove, a cozy nook, and quiet spaces that make the most of natural wood cultivate moments of feeling close to nature. Equipped with high thermal insulation performance and solar power generation, the home continues to deepen its richness with the changing seasons.

House in Oba-cho

Takayoshi Nakamura Architects & Associates

This home makes use of the golf course’s rich greenery extending to the north of the site as borrowed scenery, achieving both privacy and a sense of openness. The second floor features a bright and expansive LDK and a Japanese-style room, creating a comfortable space that continues seamlessly onto the deck. The conditions of the irregularly shaped site were skillfully interpreted to secure ample natural light and ventilation. It is a home where the surrounding views become part of everyday life, allowing its residents to live in a spacious and unrestrained setting.

House in Kanazawa, Takaracho

Masahiko Sawamura Architect and Associates

This is a single-storey house located on a hill in Kanazawa City. The client enjoys outdoor activities, so an outdoor living area and a barbecue space were provided in the garden. The living room is fully glazed, but a 1.8 m overhang was provided to block solar radiation. In addition, an indoor golf room was provided as a hobby room.

A Courtyard Where the Wind Flows Through

Mitsuhiro Kojima Architects

A single-story residence in which a couple, their two children, and their dog live. With the theme “a home where the family can share time together,” the plan adopts a layout centered on a courtyard. While creating an environment where the dog can move about freely, the design achieves an integrated space in which family members can sense one another’s presence. Light reflected off the white walls and the introduced greenery brightly enliven the courtyard, creating a comfortable environment with breezes passing through. The house gently connects to the surrounding nature and neighborhood, and carefully nurtures the richness of daily life—such as meals on the terrace and time spent with the dog.

House with a Courtyard for Living with Cats

Archiplace

A dwelling for a couple engaged in manufacturing who are cat lovers, and their young child. Under the theme “a comfortable house in which one can truly relax,” the project was carefully planned by reading the conditions of a newly developed residential district. By arranging the building in a U-shape to enclose a courtyard on the east side, privacy is secured while natural light and cross-ventilation are drawn deep into the interior of the house. In addition, gently zoning separate spaces for people and for the cat creates an environment in which both can live comfortably and without stress. It is a home where the family and their beloved cat cultivate tranquil time together.

House OTF

Far East Design Lab.

A residence planned for a couple raising three daughters. Drawing on memories of their annual summer holidays in Okinawa, the design seeks to enable the family to enjoy extended summers together. The site incorporates a swimming pool and outdoor living areas, bringing the ambience of a southern‑island villa into everyday life. Through the deliberate arrangement of deep eaves and fenestration, the spaces remain comfortable in summer by providing shade and promoting natural breezes. The house is conceived as a place to accumulate time with the children and seasonal memories.

Chiyogaoka House — A spacious, nearby home for the child-rearing generation —

Tokuhiro Norimatsu Architect

This residence, located in a residential area of Gakuenmae in Nara City, is designed for a couple and their three children. The courtyard, living room, and kitchen are arranged in a triangular configuration to create a generous, open space that becomes the center of family life. A small raised tatami platform adjacent to the living room serves as a play area, a space for learning, and a place to relax, accompanying the family as it grows. Designed to accommodate future change while naturally bringing family members closer together, the home fosters warm, supportive connections.