Introducing A Warm, Welcoming Space, a custom-built home example by AS IT IS Co., Ltd., a Construction company in 576 O, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

An outdoors-oriented couple who love trail running, badminton, and other vigorous physical activities approached us to design a home for themselves, their parents, their grandmother, and their Shiba Inu. They had taken a liking to our completed project “A House Like a Park,” and their primary request was to have spaces where they could be physically active and play indoors.

As design discussions progressed, additional considerations arose: could we also incorporate intimate, playful private spaces reminiscent of a secret hideout—an idea that seems at odds with the open areas required for active pursuits? How could we ensure the parents, who were moving from another prefecture, would find the home easy to live in? How could we provide a safe, comfortable environment for the Shiba? The range of issues to address broadened considerably.

As a two-family house, we provided an exterior, wheelchair-accessible ramp at the entrance in anticipation of possible future needs, and we enlarged the entrance hall to create a circulation route that allows wheelchair access to the parents’ living and wet areas without passing through the child household’s spaces. Kitchens were placed within each dwelling unit so occupants can prepare meals independently of other households’ schedules. In the parents’ area we avoided creating a second floor above, reducing the potential for noise from upper levels.

By exploring and resolving these requirements, we introduced livability strategies throughout the design. The result is a home in which three generations plus the family dog can each live comfortably and peacefully. Structure/Scale: Timber construction, two-storey
Total floor area: 167.74 m²