This residence, designed for a family of four and their pets, embodies the theme of creating a comfortable home that prioritizes high functionality and efficiency, eliminates storage waste, and values each family member’s hobbies and personal time while living harmoniously with dogs and cats.
The building is configured as a nearly single-story courtyard house featuring an inner courtyard. This design ensures a barrier-free, safe, and secure living environment that remains resilient against future changes in the surrounding context.
The dogs and cats can safely enjoy the courtyard, while the cats have unrestricted access to the second-floor cat terrace via a catwalk integrated into the living room.
Location: Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Household: A couple, two children, one dog, and four cats
Completion: End of March 2019
Structural system and scale: Two-storey timber construction (conventional timber-frame method)
Site area: 247.44 m²
Building footprint area: 146.92 m²
Total floor area: 185.96 m²
Architectural design and supervision: Architectural Design Office Archiplace
Structural engineering: Structural Design Studio Siesta
Construction contractor: Kashinoki Construction Co., Ltd.
Underfloor heating: Izena · Aqua Layer
Notes: Cavity-fill insulation with ventilated construction method