To more fully understand the work and philosophy of a designer that is recently published, there is sometimes a need to explore their work from the recent past in more detail. With this in mind this is the first in this occasional series and features the Machi House built in Fukuyama and designed by UID Architects of Hiroshima, Japan. It was completed in 2011 and relies for its clarity on the manipulation of natural light and views all within a tight urban site
The simple massing of white, cubic volumes are arranged to step-up towards the centre of the narrow site that sits in the middle of a terrace of houses. By stepping-up, strips of clerestory glazing on each of the volumes admit light into the very heart of the building. Unexpected shadows and banded strips of sunlight animate the internal spaces throughout the day. A tiny internal atrium becomes a traditional Japanese courtyard garden and provides a focus to the interior of the house.
There is something simultaneously traditional, contemporary, and Japanese about the architectural expression of this house. It is explored from inside out with the photographs below.
