House in Osaka, Japan

This house in Osaka was designed for a young couple and the mother. The two-storey building is enclosed by high screening walls. The only opening in these walls is the entrance, from where stairs lead up to the “public” area on the first floor – the brightly lit living-dining room with a terrace and a broad cantilevered roof. A further staircase leads down to the private realm of the two bedrooms on the ground floor. Here, the entry of daylight is more subdued. Each bedroom has its own courtyard, which creates a remarkable spatial extension. Since the bedrooms open on different sides, they are largely protected from overlooking. Despite the close physical links, a sense of distance is maintained by using the courtyards to move from room to room.