The translucent polycarbonate walls of this house in Hiroshima by Japanese architects Suppose Design Office allow natural light to flood the interior from all sides (+ slideshow).
Named House of Tousuienn, the three-storey building was designed by Suppose Design Office as the residence of a family of five, who also requested a space for storing and repairing a collection of motorcycles.
The long and narrow shape of the site dictated the shape of the house. It is surrounded on three sides by neighbouring buildings, so the architects added translucent cladding to allow light to permeate the interior without comprising residents' privacy.
"Most exterior walls are thick and heavy," said the architects. "For the House of Tousuien, we used a thin and translucent material to replace the regular exterior walls, where natural light can be maximised in the interior space."
Windows are made from the same material as the walls, so they don't offer any additional light but can be opened to allow residents to let fresh air into the building.
At night, lights glowing from within transform the building into a huge lightbox along the streetscape.
"The client can fully experience [the] change of the surrounding nature inside the house with a warm and bright space," added the architects.
A steel structure made up of I-beams is on show inside the building and has been painted white. Concrete ceilings are left exposed, while the floors encompass a mixture of concrete and timber.
The motorcycle room occupies the entire ground floor and features wide sliding doors for easy access.
A small maintenance room sits in the centre of the space, while bicycles can be stored behind a staircase leading to the living spaces above.
A kitchen, dining room and living room are grouped together on the first floor, with a bathroom positioned behind.
On the uppermost floor, an enclosed children's room in the middle of the space creates a barrier between two larger bedrooms on either side.
Photography is by Toshiyuki Yano, apart from where otherwise stated.
Here's a short project description from Suppose Design Office:
The House of Tousuien
The House of Tousuien is located in a quiet residential area, and it is designed for a couple and 3 children. The three sides of this house are surrounded by other residence buildings, and the shape of the site forces the house to stay long and narrow.
Most exterior walls are thick and heavy, where windows are added to balance out the heavy look of the exterior. For the House of Tousuien, we used a thin and translucent material to replace the regular exterior walls, where natural light can be maximised in the interior space.
In the House of Tousuien the client can fully experience change of the surrounding nature inside the house with a warm and bright space.
