Osaka Houzz Tour: Criss-Cross Design Brings a Family Together
This family worried they'd always end up in separate rooms – this layout makes sure that won't happen
Atop a gentle slope overlooking Sakai City, near Osaka, Japan, stands a cubic home. Inside, it’s laid out like a crossroads, with rooms at every corner connected to the dining area in the centre. This unique layout helps open up the space and bring the family together.
The home’s exterior juxtaposes a yakisugi, or charred cedar, wall finish against a brightly coloured roof. The home’s shape is the icon of a house: Square sides with a triangular roof. Nearly all the windows are square as well.
“Although it’s a small space, it’s surrounded by hills and neighbouring houses on three sides, so the aim was to provide a nice view while protecting privacy,” Yamamoto says.
“Although it’s a small space, it’s surrounded by hills and neighbouring houses on three sides, so the aim was to provide a nice view while protecting privacy,” Yamamoto says.
The home’s entrance features a nearly floor-to-ceiling closet.
This photo shows the view from just inside the front door. Down the narrow corridor and to the left is the doma, a space that traditionally includes a packed-earth floor, which broaches the transition between inside and out. While it is considered rude to wear shoes inside the house in Japan, shoes may be worn in this transitional space. In this home the doma is used as a storage area.
This photo shows the view from just inside the front door. Down the narrow corridor and to the left is the doma, a space that traditionally includes a packed-earth floor, which broaches the transition between inside and out. While it is considered rude to wear shoes inside the house in Japan, shoes may be worn in this transitional space. In this home the doma is used as a storage area.
The family store bicycles, rain gear, cleaning supplies and other equipment in the doma. It’s not closed off like a private room, but connected to the living space on the floor above it, separated by a wall. The white door in the centre of the photo opens into the spacious basement, which the husband uses for work and hobbies.
The main room, on the floor above, is an open-plan space with a white colour scheme. Dark iron on details like doorknobs adds a chic contrast.
The room’s focal point is an extra-wide set of stairs. This was the wife’s request: She likes to sit on the steps and enjoy the view of the garden.
The dining room is just above. As it’s only the staircase that separates it from the rest of the house, it keeps family members in different rooms connected to one another. The oak wood floors are stained in shades of walnut.
The room’s focal point is an extra-wide set of stairs. This was the wife’s request: She likes to sit on the steps and enjoy the view of the garden.
The dining room is just above. As it’s only the staircase that separates it from the rest of the house, it keeps family members in different rooms connected to one another. The oak wood floors are stained in shades of walnut.
The homeowners enjoy a snack in their dining room.
Up the steps from there is the core of the house: The kitchen-dining room. The space above it is divided into four square corner rooms, with the kitchen acting as a kind of crossroads between them.
The family were worried that they would always end up in separate rooms if these were available. One of the appeals of this design was that they can roam naturally throughout the house, since there are no partitions and everything is interconnected.
Yamamoto explains, “I wanted to highlight the shape of the ceiling, so I designed the room so as to bring in light. Embedded ceiling lights would have been a poor fit visually, so I went for a rail duct with lamps and carefully hid more lights in the walls of each of the four private rooms.”
Up the steps from there is the core of the house: The kitchen-dining room. The space above it is divided into four square corner rooms, with the kitchen acting as a kind of crossroads between them.
The family were worried that they would always end up in separate rooms if these were available. One of the appeals of this design was that they can roam naturally throughout the house, since there are no partitions and everything is interconnected.
Yamamoto explains, “I wanted to highlight the shape of the ceiling, so I designed the room so as to bring in light. Embedded ceiling lights would have been a poor fit visually, so I went for a rail duct with lamps and carefully hid more lights in the walls of each of the four private rooms.”
This central space offers easy access to all the other rooms, including the living room. The mother tells us that when she’s cooking, all she has to do is stretch her neck a little to see her son playing the living room below.
Facing the kitchen is a balcony that makes up one of the four private corners and is reached by a staircase made of expanded metal, a kind of mesh made by cutting and stretching sheet metal. The large windows light up the whole room.
Although Japanese homes tend to have separate rooms for the toilet and shower or bathtub, here all three functions are combined.
The boy loves his bedroom, which is situated in another corner of the house. A skylight offers a glimpse of the sky.
The ceiling is made up of four triangles that stretch from the edges of the walls and meet at a single point, making the room feel like a piece of modern art.
The ceiling is made up of four triangles that stretch from the edges of the walls and meet at a single point, making the room feel like a piece of modern art.
This Japanese-style room is used as a guest room.
The guest room and the boy’s room feature pass-through windows that offer a view of cherry trees growing on the hillside, boldly connecting these private spaces to the outdoors. The picturesque landscape is a gorgeous and tasteful embellishment for the home’s decor.
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What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
More
Find a renovation professional in Singapore
Browse more Singapore photos for design inspiration
Location: Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Who lives here: A married couple with a five-year-old son
Plot area: 246.55 square metres
Building footprint: 65.61 square metres
Total floor area: 110.21 square metres
Architectural design: Yoshihiro Yamamoto and Kaori Mihashi of Yoshihiro Yamamoto Architects Atelier
Structural design supervision: Ippei Yasue’s Workshop
Construction: Masaki Construction Company
Once this couple welcomed their first child, they started thinking about making a home for themselves. They briefly considered renovating a large city apartment, but they had wanted a detached home for a long time. In the end, they decided to go for a house in Sakai, where the husband works.
The architect, Yoshihiro Yamamoto, was the husband’s old classmate. The latter particularly liked Yamamoto’s casual air and likeable personality.