Introducing A House Opening Inward to Light and a Terrace, a custom-built home example by AtelierMA, a Architect / Design office in 2B Yanakada Building, 3-13-2 Tabata, Kita-ku, Tokyo

A three-story wooden residence built on a site surrounded by densely packed urban housing. The exterior is conceived as a simple volume, while a terrace is placed on the second floor of the front façade, keeping the openings out of direct view. In this way, the house secures privacy while creating a quiet presence within the streetscape.

The interior is organized around a void, gently connecting the distance between the upper and lower floors. Light falling from high-level windows spreads through the living room, changing the character of the space as time passes. The void also continues to the openings of the children’s rooms, creating a spatial arrangement in which the presence of the family can be sensed three-dimensionally.

The terrace and large openings softly connect the boundaries between inside and outside, creating a living space that conveys a sense of expansiveness even within the city. The spatial intervals—“ma”—created by the relationships between light, height, and depth bring a rich sense of spaciousness to everyday life. Total floor area: 121.46 m² (36.7 tsubo)
Structure: Three-story wooden construction