House with a Soundproof Room｜Custom Home Examples by Architectural Offices9Picks Author: Qurasuki Editorial Department

Times spent enjoying music, watching films, or playing instruments constitute an important hobby for many. In a home with a soundproof room, the relationship between sound and space is architecturally considered to make such moments comfortable. When hearing "soundproof room," one tends to imagine rooms equipped with special facilities, but spatial impressions vary greatly depending on connections with the entire residence. Family distance, circulation paths, window provisions, and room layouts are also crucial elements. Furthermore, demand often extends beyond soundproofing performance to include comfort that makes one want to spend long hours there. As places for hobbies and creative activities, soundproof rooms hold unique roles in daily life. From real examples of custom homes by architectural firms, we introduce how soundproof rooms are planned as spaces.

White House Far East Design Lab.

A residence for a family of four that balances the openness characteristic of suburban neighborhoods with the need for privacy. By placing a daylight-filled stairwell at the core, the floors are softly connected and each level enjoys bright spaces with a close relationship to the sky while minimizing views from the outside. A roof balcony on the third floor allows for kitchen gardening; the first floor includes a fully sound-insulated theater room that doubles as a guest bedroom. The vertical and horizontal composition and window placement combine to realize both openness and comfortable private spaces.

A House Connected by a Mezzanine Yosuke Tomiya Architectural Design Co., Ltd.

After considering a variety of housing options, this home was planned around the theme of “a lifestyle in which the family naturally connects.” At the heart of the house is a study space set at a half-level landing along the staircase. Gently connected to the living room and the second-floor library, it creates a comfortable sense of distance. A hobby room is located beneath it, providing each family member with a place to enjoy their own time. Incorporating views of the south-facing garden and Mount Teine, this is a home where the presence of the family and each person’s private time coexist comfortably.

Kunitachi Music House Takeshi Hirobe Architects

Planned as a home for music and daily life, this residence carries forward the old hackberry tree that remains in the garden. Designed to support young musicians in performing, recording, and producing videos, the second-floor living room has been finished as a hall-like space with a rich resonance. The high ceiling and timber structure gently diffuse sound, while careful attention to sound insulation also creates a comfortable thermal environment. A large window opens toward the hackberry tree, creating a view that feels as though one were sitting in its branches. It is a home that quietly supports nature, music, and human growth.

Residence Featuring an Indoor-Integrated Terrace Archiplace

This is the final residence for a couple who have finished raising their children. On the second floor, which serves as the heart of daily life, the living and dining areas are arranged to frame a southeast-facing terrace. The semi-outdoor terrace, created by openings in the roof and walls, screens views from the surroundings while admitting light and natural ventilation, providing a place where the changing seasons can be felt up close. Changes in floor levels beginning at the music room on the first floor, the double-height void, and the observation terrace give the spaces a rich sense of depth, allowing residents to enjoy the continuity and variety characteristic of a three-story timber structure.

ST2-Kyoto Masahiko Sawamura Architect and Associates

A courtyard house for audio that incorporates four internal courtyards

Allo Musica Tada Architectural Design Office

A small music hall planned on a site along the Hokusei Line of the Sangi Railway for a married couple of clarinetists. Located within the grounds of an existing residence, the design secures the maximum possible floor area while achieving a rare timber construction in Japan with a high sound-insulation performance of 50 dB. The acoustic environment was carefully refined to accommodate concerts and music lessons. As a place where people who love music gather to share beautiful tone, it functions as a space that richly connects daily life and culture.

House for Music and Astronomical Observation Yu Architectural Design Studio

A residence for a couple who love music and astronomical observation, sited on an alley-access lot surrounded by neighboring houses. A high-performance acoustically isolated room accommodating piano and trumpet was provided, planned so that the performance environment can be finely tuned using sound-absorbing panels. The overall architecture subtly incorporates a design motif based on the musical staff, reflecting their attachment to their hobbies within the space. On the second floor a balcony with expansive sky views was provided, creating an environment where astronomical observation can be enjoyed despite the urban location. A tatami-floored living room and a retro-modern interior compose a comfortable living environment.

Dwelling of Drummer JYU ARCHITECT

Satellite residence with an attached drum studio, planned on an 8 tsubo site. The semi‑basement reinforced‑concrete studio, though under six tatami in area, is a full‑scale soundproofed volume with a high ceiling; thick walls, floor and ceiling ensure performance that prevents even low‑frequency bass and vibration from transmitting to the exterior. The timber-framed residence on the upper floor incorporates borrowed greenery and open views, achieving a level of comfort that belies its roughly eight‑and‑a‑half tatami size. The stepped floor functions multipurpose as counters and seating, creating a variety of places to inhabit; at the same time those level changes contribute to sound diffusion and support a favorable acoustic environment. It is a dwelling in which music and daily life are concentrated within a limited space.

House in Kumano Town Abax Architects

This residence in Sakai City incorporates a piano studio on the ground floor. To ensure sound insulation performance, the ground floor is constructed in reinforced concrete (RC), while the second and third floors are timber-framed, creating a mixed structural system. A primary school playground spreads out in front of the site, and taking advantage of this open environment a large clerestory window was provided in the living room. The result is a generous space where one can relax on the sofa and gaze at the sky. Additionally, a rooftop terrace for barbecuing has been provided, making this a home where one can enjoy rich moments even within the urban context.