Tatsuya Nagasaki / Atelier Haretoke

The floating terraces links living space to the neighborhood

This house for a family of five is located in a suburban neighborhood fifteen minutes on foot from the train station, and a twenty-minute train ride from the urban subcenter. The first floor contains the entryway, bathroom, and bedrooms, while the second floor is where the family gathers to spend time together. The second floor features large north-facing windows and sliding glass doors, and by opening these doors, the space can be linked to a “sky terrace” outside. The wall around this floating terrace is just the right to offer views of farm fields to the north and city streets below, but block visibility into the house from the street.

A void next to the staircase connects the entire house in a single unity and allows family members to sense one another’s presence no matter where they are. There are a total of three terraces on the property: an “earth terrace” facing the first-floor bedrooms, the “sky terrace” on the second floor, and a “viewing terrace” accessed from a loft. These terraces three-dimensionally link life in the house to its surroundings. In all, the project turns strict local building codes intended to improve the streetscape to its advantage, protecting the family’s privacy while at the same time connecting home life to the surrounding neighborhood.