A new house for a couple in their 30s was planned in a detached housing complex on a slope in Akashi. The site was divided into two lots for sale, and the housing complex was seen everywhere being renewed for a second generation. The client had also moved from outside the city when they started working.

The husband's hobby is motor biking and he is an engineer for a motorcycle manufacturer. Considering the character of the city, which is the town of a major motorcycle manufacturer, it would be very unnatural for the motorcycle to be separated from the house, and we decided rather to start thinking about the character of the house from the motorcycle and related activities outside the house.

Going out and outdoor activities were important to the family, but at the same time, the family seemed to feel comfortable spending time alone together. This is a common feeling among today's nuclear families. Eating out at shopping malls and family restaurants, staying at hotels, and socializing on social networking sites. They want a life that is complete with a minimum of social interaction, secure family time, and online interaction only with acquaintances.

This means that spaces for guests are eliminated, and social relationships outside of the family are increasingly less likely to enter into the interior of the home. Therefore, we proposed a house that allows family members to build relationships with society in a safe and resilient manner by providing a secure and comfortable space with the potential for the entry of relationships other than family and daily life.

　The garage is used as the entrance, private rooms for each individual are located on the middle floor, and a well-lit living room is located on the top floor, connected by a straight staircase with a vaulted ceiling from the garage to the living room. The privacy of the family is buffered by a maximum setback, and at the same time, the living room opens wide only in the direction of the sea view, with minimal light on the side bordering the neighboring land.

In order to avoid closing off the southside of the house, horizontal windows were opened on the west, north, and east sides to create a bright and comfortable space. This is in order to avoid closing the curtains during the daytime.

While protecting the family's privacy to the maximum extent, the straight staircase from the entrance to the living room is made of duck board and the windows are created at the end of the staircase, creating an atmosphere like a pathway or a verander leading to the hilly town, so that the family always feels connected with the town and the society.

　The family has shifted to a nuclear family style. The life style is also shifting to a society in which change is assumed and uncertainty and instability are commonplace. In response to this shift in the family structure, which has changed drastically since the first detached houses were owned by each household, we have attempted to propose a possible form of ordinary housing for the new generation of ordinary families.

Photo : Ryosuke Sato
Construction : Kimura komuten