Acro

Chiba, Japan

Photo © Masao Nishikawa

Single Houses

Architects: APOLLO / Satoshi Kurosaki

Location: Chiba, Japan
Year: 2017

Located in a new residential development in Chiba prefecture, this house sits on a lot surrounded by roads on three sides. The clients requested a design that captured the expansive views to the north by taking advantage of the elevation differential between the roads and the lot.

The house is composed of a white cube and a black volume with a shed roof. This tidy yet distinctive façade gives the appearance of a two-story building, but in fact it is a single story. Natural light pours in through the family room’s clerestory windows, casting beautiful shadows on the large sloped ceiling that create a sensation of floating. The transition from the low-ceilinged entryway to the high-ceilinged family room creates a unique rhythm that adds an element of surprise to the space.

The triangular terrace connecting to the family room is paved with the same porcelain tile used inside and is at the same elevation. The doors to the terrace slide fully back, resulting in a superb intermediate space where the residents can enjoy outdoor living against the borrowed scenery of the landscape just beyond. The clients plan to use the terrace for BBQs and “glamping” with their children.

The distinct shape of the terrace jutting out over the steeply sloping lot gives the home a second façade, and brings an extraordinary sense of openness to an otherwise simple residence.