A newly built custom house in Abeno-ku, Osaka City. The site has a 3.0 m frontage and a 16.0 m depth. Faced with the challenging condition of a narrow frontage and a limited construction budget, we took on the project to the fullest extent. The house is a three-story timber structure. The household consists of four people. From here, a delightful urban life begins.
We were consulted prior to the land purchase and supported the project through to completion and handover. Although other plots were considered because of the narrow frontage, the clients were unable to compromise on the location and ultimately decided to purchase this lot. Due to mortgage constraints, construction costs had to be minimized as much as possible, so we repeatedly refined the plan and sectional strategy until arriving at the final scheme.
The narrow frontage was no excuse. Our primary focus throughout was to ensure comfortable living for the family of four. The clients had a clear requirement for the kitchen layout: the kitchen and dining table were to be placed centrally along the building's longitudinal axis, so we explored optimal stair placement accordingly. Considering pleasant natural light, it became natural to place the living-dining-kitchen (LDK) on the third floor. By locating the washroom and bathroom on the second floor together with the bedrooms, we achieved a well-balanced overall arrangement.
Three-story timber structure, conventional wood-frame construction
Zoning: Category 1 Residential District; quasi-fire-prevention district
Site area: 48.80 m² (14.79 tsubo)
Building footprint: 27.30 m² (8.27 tsubo)
Total floor area: 81.90 m² (24.82 tsubo)