Tato Architects blends indoor-outdoor living in charred timber home
Japanese residence balances enclosure and openness through innovative design
1Site-specific design challenge
The 108-square-meter home was built in the backyard of the clients' parental home in Mibu, requiring careful integration with existing structures including a garage and workshop. Architect Yo Shimada approached this as an opportunity rather than a constraint, creating a design that maintains the yard's openness while adding a complete dwelling. The solution involved sinking the ground floor 500mm below grade and incorporating a sloped green roof.
2Van Eyck's 'in-between' philosophy
The design core references Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck's concept of spaces that simultaneously offer enclosure and openness. This manifests in strategic elements like the overhanging first floor and sunken living areas. Shimada explains these features create a dialogue between interior and exterior spaces, allowing family members inside and outside to maintain visual contact across slight height variations.
3Material contrast defines experience
Externally, the house features charred cedar cladding and corrugated metal roofing that reference the workshop's industrial character. Inside, warm lauan plywood lines all walls and ceilings, chosen specifically for its ability to show graceful aging. This material duality extends to the spatial organization, with the ground floor's connection to earth contrasting with the first floor's more enclosed, nest-like bedrooms.
4Sectional spatial organization
The home's three distinct levels create a vertical sequence: the sunken living area connects to garden at eye level, a rectilinear void with twin staircases mediates the transition, and the top floor contains private spaces. A 690mm-raised loft space serves as connective tissue between bedrooms, functioning flexibly as study or guest room. This sectional approach maximizes the compact site's potential.
5Precision in spatial relationships
Every design decision reinforces the indoor-outdoor connection. Full-height west-facing windows frame workshop views while emphasizing the living area's groundedness. The slight 500mm depression of the ground floor creates an intimate relationship with the garden. Even the green roof contributes to this dialogue, blurring boundaries between architecture and landscape.
6Family-centric spatial dynamics
The layout facilitates constant visual connection between family members across different areas. Parents in the sunken living room can maintain eye contact with children playing in the garden at nearly the same level. Upstairs, the loft's central position and modest elevation create a shared space that links three children's rooms and the master bedroom without complete separation.
7Contextual material choices
Beyond aesthetics, material selections respond directly to the home's unique conditions. The charred cedar exterior references traditional Japanese shou sugi ban technique while providing durability. Lauan plywood interiors will develop a patina reflecting family use over time. Corrugated metal roofing ties the new structure visually to the existing workshop building on site.
8Spatial innovation in residential design
This project demonstrates how thoughtful sectional design can create rich spatial experiences on constrained urban sites. By carefully calibrating heights, materials and sightlines, Tato Architects achieved both privacy and connection, enclosure and openness. The home serves as a case study in balancing functional requirements with architectural poetry in compact housing.