The single-level home built for comfort

April Kennedy April Kennedy
奥田の家, 五藤久佳デザインオフィス有限会社 五藤久佳デザインオフィス有限会社 Houses
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Architectural designs with strong horizontal lines and flat roofs exude the look and feel of resorts and high-end retreats. This is because wide, flat dwellings at ground level generally encourage people to feel grounded and relaxed. With this in mind, it's clear to see why the home design we will explore today is so successful. It is a single-level wooden home with a total floor area of 128.12sqm. It is located in the Inazawa, a city in the Aichi Prefecture of Japan and the home has that quiet sense of simplicity that is so often seen in Japanese homes. The building is also set on a site of 307sqm that is surrounded by other homes. The architects, Goto Hisayoshi Design Office, have used a traditional Japanese feature to create a private retreat within this modern home. We won't give away too much yet, so come with us on a photo tour to see more…

Striking single-level design

The single-level home has a gently rising roof that blends perfectly into the dark ochre walls of the home to create a simple, minimalist look. The diatomaceous earth brown walls also grounds the home into the green landscape. Note now the front facade is simply designed with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. These allow the occupants to open the home up wide and allow for lights of light and fresh air to flow into the interior. There is also a large glass entrance on the far left.

High-set window panels

At the rear of the home we have a good view of the high-set window panels that run along the top of the living room. These add to the profuse amount of light entering the home and of course, allowed the architects to retain wall space and privacy. See how the side-walls remain windowless too. Finally, note the total unity in the earthy modern theme here. The doors, trim and roof are brown to match the walls and the landscape adds a lot of green flourish. Note the volume at the rear of the home. We will explore this wing a little later.

Warm contemporary living room

The combined living/kitchen and dining room has an abundance of light. This continues throughout the day as we have light pouring in from two sides of the home. The earthy theme here is continued in the choice of materials. The walls are made from solid oak wood and with few decorations, the natural elements of light and air are really allowed to remain dominant.

Internal courtyard

The intersecting point between wing at the rear of the home and the main living room was used to create an internal courtyard. This area has been fully utilized by using glass walls on both sides. This gives the occupants a private retreat within a moderately built-up neighbourhood. Note how it obviates the need for external windows in the bedroom we see here.

Bright black bathroom

Black bathrooms are definitely rare to see! This black backroom certainly defies the common problem of light. The glass wall invites lots of light to penetrate the interior and this is continued throughout the bathroom with the help of a transparent glass wall in the wet room. Best of all, the black polished walls reflect that light and bounce it around to room to create a truly glamorous effect.

For more inspiration, check out A low cost home to steal your heart.

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