House with Light Void is a minimal residence located in Hyogo, Japan, designed by Fujiwaramuro Architects. This residence is located in a residential neighborhood slightly removed from a busy thoroughfare. Although the setting did not offer ideal views, the lot is bound on three sides by streets with houses on the other side, making it easy to avoid unwanted visibility.

Responding to the client’s desire for privacy, we avoided locating large windows where they would be noticeable from outside and instead constructed two layers of external walls on the second story, with openings in the inner layer to let in light and breezes.

Inside, five tower-like boxes finished in cement plaster occupy the center and four corners of the structure. Light enters these towers through voids in their upper portions. The space between the towers contains the first-floor living-dining-kitchen area, which features a 4.5-meter-high ceiling. Looking up, one glimpses pieces of sky framed by the openings in the tops of the towers. Sunlight scatters off the walls, creating a living environment filled with soft light.

Photography by Katsuya Taira

View more works by Fujiwaramuro Architects