32.4°House

A largest possible square floor plan was first drawn within the almost square lot of the house.

Then a slightly smaller square plan was drawn inside the outer square, then it was rotated around the center of the square clock-wise by 32.4 degrees creating four right triangles inside the outer square; these are the elements which constitute the house, outer square, inner square and four right triangles in-between.

Right triangle space serves as entrance porch or balcony of rooms of the house, and at the same time, subtracts adequate floor area from total floor area and building area to manage the area within allowed limit. If a house is built on the outer square, its total floor area would exceed the floor area which can be built within the budget or statutory building coverage ratio.

Largest possible windows are designed on the walls facing right triangles, and modest openings are designed on the walls on the side of outer squares, thus, the view from the window is the wall of the owner’s house (inside the right triangle space) and not the next door, avoiding the sight from the next door without drawing the curtains.

As the sight from the house is not blocked by curtains, the wall of the outer square can be perceived as the wall of the interior, giving the impression of larger space than the actual floor area. Inside the outer square, the walls are painted in mat white color, so that the light pouring through the four right triangle walls is mildly reflected on the walls.

The house is built in a neighbor where lots of similar shape and size are prevalent and within the lots, old and new houses are built almost fully within the lots. The narrow street of four meters in width in front of houses is a community street whose ownerships are shared by the owners of the houses facing the street. In this neighborhood where houses as well as relationships of the residents seems close, some households are living for decades and some have just moved recently. The age groups are diverse and different life styles co-exist.

The family of four, a couple and two children, who are moving from different neighbor and starting a new life here, have their privacy protected by the house which provides buffer between the life inside the house and the neighborhood outside. The house is meant to secure interior spacious and quiet.

In the afternoon, community street in front of the house gets busy with children after school passing by, adults after shopping chatting and sounds of piano practice from someone’s house. We hoped that in time, the distance and relations between the neighbor and the family would gradually get closer and the family would blend in as part of the community.

– Akio Nakasa –