Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Hillside Family Home with Timber and Concrete Details
Open and spacious, every room in this hillside house has a mood of its own, enhanced by the tactile materials, large windows and leafy views
On a quiet hill in a suburb of Fujisawa City in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, stands a home nestled in verdant surroundings. Like a forest cottage, it’s simple in shape and has a modest chimney rising above its two gable roofs. This hilltop location, with its panoramic view of lush, natural surroundings, was the ideal place for this family in search of a life where nature is ever present. And the most pleasing thing is that the design of their house embraces the nature all around them.
This plot is the only one to remain untouched among a residential zone formed by land readjustment around 40 years ago, and with Fujisawa City owning the sloping green tract of land extending on the site’s south and east sides, it’s expected to remain undeveloped for the foreseeable future.
This plot is the only one to remain untouched among a residential zone formed by land readjustment around 40 years ago, and with Fujisawa City owning the sloping green tract of land extending on the site’s south and east sides, it’s expected to remain undeveloped for the foreseeable future.
When architects Katsutoshi and Noriko Naoi visited the site, they envisioned “a simple and unassuming cottage-like home sitting in harmony with the lush natural landscape”. The concept suggested a wooden structure with a gabled roof – a house-shaped design, in other words.
The site is a complex pentagon shape with a gentle slope. Exploiting these features, the building is a two-wing configuration sitting north and south and designed to bring together its different levels. Viewed from outside, the two house-shaped structures, one large and one small, have a playful appearance, slightly askew and overlapping, while walls combining grey plasterwork and antique brick fit in perfect harmony with the green surroundings.
The site is a complex pentagon shape with a gentle slope. Exploiting these features, the building is a two-wing configuration sitting north and south and designed to bring together its different levels. Viewed from outside, the two house-shaped structures, one large and one small, have a playful appearance, slightly askew and overlapping, while walls combining grey plasterwork and antique brick fit in perfect harmony with the green surroundings.
The house-shaped motif also brings openness to the interior. “The cathedral ceiling with exposed roof trusses (the triangle-shaped structures that bear load) makes a more open space,” Katsutoshi says. These glazed sections fill the open-ceiling dining and kitchen area with natural light that pours in from the south and north, making this a delightful place both in the morning and afternoon.
The owners wanted a “modern rustic” interior style. To reflect their laid-back lifestyle, floors of wide, solid oak planks and exposed concrete are paired with metro tiles on the kitchen wall and embellished with such tactile touches as rustic concrete and plants around the cooker.
The all-white finish of the walls and ceilings radiates light to every corner, while the exposed roof strut (the vertical structural piece that transmits load to beams) and lattice windows painted in dark grey tie the space together. Roof struts are usually wood, but wood suggests a more traditional Japanese interior and also tends to bring log cabins to mind, so Katsutoshi selected thin steel instead, because it preserves and harmonises with the interior’s delicate presentation.
The custom-made lattice windows have painted wooden sashes with a grid size calculated to showcase the beautiful scenery. “Making the architecture a filter for observing nature is a way to bring the landscape that makes the place so special into the home. That’s why we chose lattice windows,” Katsutoshi says.
The custom-made lattice windows have painted wooden sashes with a grid size calculated to showcase the beautiful scenery. “Making the architecture a filter for observing nature is a way to bring the landscape that makes the place so special into the home. That’s why we chose lattice windows,” Katsutoshi says.
Designed by kitchen specialist Tacti, this space was intended to match the modern rustic interior style. The 3.6ft-high (1.1m) oak veneer worktop conceals activity in the kitchen. The U-shaped layout follows the wall, while the area behind the fridge and storage shelves is a semi-concealed housekeeping space that allows the owners to do chores in private, and doubles as a pantry.
Making the most of the topography around it, the home’s configuration creates a variety of spacious yet composed spots here and there within the home. The south wing and main entrance is a roomy, one-storey space with a 16.4ft (5m) ceiling at its highest point. It includes wet areas and the dining room and kitchen.
The south wing exploits the terrain with a portion about 1.1ft to 1.5ft (35cm to 45cm) below ground. Sitting at the dining table next to the window to admire the eye-level view of the sky and garden feels like floating amid the greenery. Sitting at the kitchen worktop to enjoy a meal offers a generous view of the garden and surrounding landscape in front of the home, too.
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The south wing exploits the terrain with a portion about 1.1ft to 1.5ft (35cm to 45cm) below ground. Sitting at the dining table next to the window to admire the eye-level view of the sky and garden feels like floating amid the greenery. Sitting at the kitchen worktop to enjoy a meal offers a generous view of the garden and surrounding landscape in front of the home, too.
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The north wing contains the living room and is split over two storeys, with the bedrooms, the children’s room and other private spaces concentrated on the second floor.
It has a floor about 1.1ft (35cm) above the ground, making the living room about 2.5ft (70cm) higher than the dining room. While there are no walls or doors between the two spaces, the difference in height imposes a kind of soft partition on the space and also adds depth.
In contrast to the double-height space of the dining room, the living room is a tranquil and relaxing space with a ceiling no higher than 7.5ft (2.3m), a scheme that creates a different mood and pace. The steps installed where the levels split also serve as casual seating for the dining area.
It has a floor about 1.1ft (35cm) above the ground, making the living room about 2.5ft (70cm) higher than the dining room. While there are no walls or doors between the two spaces, the difference in height imposes a kind of soft partition on the space and also adds depth.
In contrast to the double-height space of the dining room, the living room is a tranquil and relaxing space with a ceiling no higher than 7.5ft (2.3m), a scheme that creates a different mood and pace. The steps installed where the levels split also serve as casual seating for the dining area.
The children’s room on the second floor of the north wing is a secluded space with a loft-like feel. Being able to see each other through the windows of the children’s room and the dining room in the other wing creates a cohesive family atmosphere.
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Looking north from the loft above the south wing bathroom affords a view of the children’s room through the roof truss windows. The perspective shows just how deftly this large space is tied together under its gabled roofs.
While the site uses almost all of the south-north width, it’s the creative touches bringing a presence of the outdoors into the home that are the key to the interior’s casual and comfortable ambience. The sunny terrace for viewing the scenery on the dining room’s east side, and a terrace along the east side of the bathroom (which is enclosed by walls for added privacy), are among the best spots for enjoying the natural surroundings.
In the same way, the hallways connecting different parts of the home have concrete floors finished in mortar that seem to naturally extend to the space outside, as well as large windows on both sides that bring in light and wind to give them the feeling of a garden path.
The right side of this photo shows the bathroom and washroom. The left side shows the dining room and kitchen. The hall between the two defines the different areas and stands apart as the space for moving from one room to another.
Since this part of the home is lower than ground level, the front terrace is accessed by going up the steps and passing through the door.
In the same way, the hallways connecting different parts of the home have concrete floors finished in mortar that seem to naturally extend to the space outside, as well as large windows on both sides that bring in light and wind to give them the feeling of a garden path.
The right side of this photo shows the bathroom and washroom. The left side shows the dining room and kitchen. The hall between the two defines the different areas and stands apart as the space for moving from one room to another.
Since this part of the home is lower than ground level, the front terrace is accessed by going up the steps and passing through the door.
Soft ambient light radiating from the cathedral ceiling fills the washroom with just the right amount of illumination. A private terrace opposite the bathroom window obstructs the view from outside. Here, family members enjoy a relaxing bath with a view of the nature outside.
The façade features a sharp design that includes a section of wall covered in antique brick. Concrete planters filled with greenery between the home and road subtly obstruct the view.
The front door, which is positioned inside the entrance area to obscure the view from the road, is made of antique timber. To make the most efficient use of the boards while preserving visual balance, the Naois created this one-of-a-kind door by assembling it panel by panel on site. The door handle is custom-made steel to complement the antique wood. These touches, along with the industrial-style bracket light and antique brick wall, come together to create a space with a European feel.
With this home, there’s a sense of oneness with the outdoors, and of gazing upon nature, but from the unique vantage point of a building.
What do you find most striking about this home? Let us know in the Comments below.
What do you find most striking about this home? Let us know in the Comments below.
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Who lives here A married couple and their two children
Property Tsujido House is a two-storey timber and steel building
Location Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Architect Naoi Architecture & Design Office
Size Site area: 2,641 sq ft (245.41 sq m); total floor area 1,606 sq ft (149.26 sq m)
Completed April 2015
Photos by Hiroshi Ueda