Murakoshi House is a minimal residence located in Tokyo, Japan, designed by S Design Farm. A two-story + loft wooden house for a couple who works in the city. The site is pentagon-shaped sitting on a corner surrounded by roads in three directions. The stream that flows nearby and the road that extends straight to the site allow the wind to blow through, but at the same time, many people and cars pass by, the studio needed to think about privacy. In addition, it is an area with a risk of flooding, and a plan that also serves as flood control was required. Therefore, they created a cross-sectional “void” that brings light and wind to the inside also securing the flow line for people and cars while parrying water, corresponding to elements such as “light, wind, people, cars and water” that surround the site. In order to maximize the building coverage ratio, the architects designed a pentagonal plan configuration that matches the shape of the site and chose a cross-sectional configuration of the second floor + loft considering height restrictions, fire prevention regulations, and structural planning. In order to minimize the impact on the building in the event of flooding, they planned to use a high foundation for the first floor. Due to the fact that it is an area crowded with houses and the owner preferred a monolithic exterior with fewer windows, the studio narrowed down the windows to the outer wall as much as possible and set up a large opening in the external atrium that leads to the courtyard on the first floor, giving consideration to privacy while ensuring adequate lighting and ventilation. The trapezoidal-shaped living-dining room has a visual effect that makes it feel spacious, and the floor plan that allows ease of getting around and the line of sight to the upper part of the external atrium is designed to give a sense of depth.

Photography by Koichi Torimura