Located along a quiet residential street near the foothills of Mount Shigi, Japan, sits a home that is a vast departure from the neighboring houses. As if illuminated by an overhead spotlight, this small white-roofed gem by Yosuke Ichii Architects makes a bold statement that simply cannot be overlooked.
This wood-built house sits on a site of 215 square meters, and its two-story layout encompasses just over 96 square meters. The hard coat exterior of the home is painted in a bright white, and is accented by white gutters, white trim work, a white metal roof, and simple white windows slightly inset from the facade.
The pureness of this white home is, by day, accented by a deep, richly stained wooden deck off the rear. Hints of galvanized aluminum trim along the property line fence further enhance the blank canvas of the exterior. By night, the home has an enchanting glow. As the whiteness of the exterior dissipates into the darkness, the interior illumination comes to the forefront.
Inside the home, the stark white palette manages to defy the typical “sterile” feel that many modern interiors portray by the clever introduction of natural colored hardwood plank flooring, and a louvered wooden floor to ceiling divider in the family room.
By day, a massive skylight atop the vaulted ceiling lets enough light into the living and kitchen areas that no artificial illumination need be present. At night, lighting recessed behind many of the flat, near-seamless surfaces offer an ambient glow that is reminiscent of how passersby see the outside of this home.
For Yosuke Ichii Architects, this house reflects well their modern, unique approach to residential design.
Architects: Yosuke Ichii Architects
Photography: Sugino Kei
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