“House with Piers” stands against the backdrop of a dense bamboo forest.  The site is about 300 m2 even if the flagpole portion of the lot is excluded. However, due to the 2.5-meter maximum retaining wall on the southeast property line, the area available for construction was relegated to the northwest due to the cliff ordinance.  Although the design freedom was reduced, the "House with Piers" solved the problem with simplicity and its shape became a large box.  When viewed from the street, the front of the box has a large carport roof that seems to exaggerate the perspective and draws visitors to the front door.  In front of the entrance door is a small pier, and when the door is opened, the living room where the family gathers spreads out before one's eyes.  The large window opens on to an expansive garden, and a long pier juts out toward the garden.  The long corridor leading up to the second floor allows the view to the bamboo grove on the west side and the neighboring bamboo garden on the east side.  The master bedroom is designed in such a way that it can be divided if necessary, making it possible to have five bedrooms.  The design was created while imagining children growing up freely in the midst of nature.

The site is a flagpole lot in a quiet residential area  .Even though it is a flagpole lot, the small plaza at the end of the lot is fully glazed to visually connect the inside and the outside, allowing for the connection with people passing by and the local community.

The multipurpose room, which has a completely independent water supply, can be used for a variety of purposes, including a guest room, study, future children's room, studio, office, and gallery.  The house with a freestanding multipurpose room is intended to be a new prototype that supports the diversified needs of modern people.

With the exception of the multipurpose room on the first floor, all other rooms are connected except for the bathroom.  The clerestory windows in all directions like a lighthouse and a skipped floor create an open and light-filled living space.

Year 2020.  The design of the "Hilltop House" began amidst a covid pandemic.  How reassuring it would be to have a spacious place that could serve as a second base in the event of an emergency.  Wouldn't it be possible to live a more humane life by cultivating fields with the goal of self-sufficiency, enjoying the bounty of, living in harmony with, and being grateful to nature.  Perhaps it was this vague idea that led the client to a vast site surrounded by nature, like the setting of "Little House on the Prairie.”  It was decided to design a small house, the smallest unit in which the family could live comfortably.

The house is a simple construction, a long, narrow, square box with a thin, folded origami-like roof.  The low ceiling height entrance leads to a tall space with a large opening that overlooks the wild to the south.  The box between the bedroom and living room has a kitchen on the living room side and storage space for a refrigerator, washing machine, clothes, etc. inside the box.  The beams in the room are used as a representation to give a sense of depth in the small house.  Storage space is provided for tools and other items needed for vegetable gardening, lawn care, snow shoveling, etc.  An exterior door to the storage space was provided though it only looks like a part of the exterior wall.

Because the house is located near a hot spring, no bathtub is provided, only a shower room.  A wood-burning stove, which does not require electricity or gas as long as firewood is provided, provides sufficient heat for the entire house.  Although the house is small, it has a large deck and an expansive view to the outdoors.

The site is located in a beautifully landscaped residential area in the school town of Kunitachi.  The living and dining rooms, where the family spends most of its time, are surrounded by the garden and other rooms in a U-shape.  The garden is situated near the road and is in keeping with the verdant townscape of Kunitachi. It provides a space to breathe in the densely populated residential area.  When you open the gate, you will see the garden and the living room where the family relaxes at the back.  The second floor, which is to be used as a children's room in the future, is separated from the living room by a 2-meter-high wall for visual privacy.  The ceiling is shared with the living room and small windows allow family members to interact.  The south light from the horizontal clerestory windows always illuminates the upper and lower floors generously, and when the large living room windows are open, the garden, the sky, and the large space unify for a feeling of freedom.