House in Kagurazaka
Raising a Vertical Machiya in a Dense Urban Wooden District
This is a private residence for an architect couple, located in Kagurazaka, Tokyo. Designed as a timber-structure house, it reinterprets the traditional Japanese machiya (townhouse) in a vertical format, allowing the residents to experience abundant natural light and wind even within a densely built urban wooden district.
Historical research into the site's urban context revealed that during the Edo period, the area was developed as samurai residences with narrow-frontage townhouses. Over time, the land was repeatedly subdivided, resulting in the current fine-grained plot layout. Seeking a way to create a spacious living environment on a small site of approximately 33 m² (10 tsubo), the concept emerged of "raising a machiya vertically" to extend the spatial depth upwards rather than horizontally.
Instead of dividing the interior into individual rooms, functions are distributed floor by floor, gradually transitioning from public spaces on the lower levels to private zones on the upper levels. This stepped layout creates a comfortable distance between functions without partition walls. A multi-story void is shared across the floors, seamlessly connecting the entire interior into a unified whole.
Large framed windows with greenery are placed above the living room facing the front street and at the top-floor bathroom, bringing gentle natural light into the living spaces. Externally, wing walls extending up to 80 cm act as environmental devices—blocking the harsh afternoon sun while capturing the prevailing southwesterly winds.
Structurally, robust truss framing is integrated into the long exterior walls, complemented by a central double-wall system. This setup allows for flexible floor arrangements and accommodates potential future floor extensions.
By maintaining a balanced sense of distance between each floor, as well as between interior and exterior, the residence offers a generous, open living environment where occupants can freely choose where to spend their time depending on the season and time of day.
