Courtyard House at Wani, Shiga Residential Development, Japan Residence, Japanese Architecture, Architect

Courtyard House at Wani in Otsu City

24 Mar 2022

Architects: design it

Location: Otsu city, Shiga, Japan

Photos: Hiroyuki Hirai

Courtyard House at Wani, Japan

Wani is located in the northern Otsu City, which is between Lake Biwa and the Hira Mountains. It is a suburban residential area where people live leisurely, with JR Kosei Line running north and south, giving good access to Kyoto and Osaka. design it designed Courtyard House – a small house on a hill in Wani.

The owner is a dog lover who likes outdoor activities and swimming with his dogs in Lake Biwa on the weekends. The owner’s request was to live with his dogs and fully enjoy the scenery and air of Wani.

The architects chose a single-story house with a courtyard so that he could stay outdoors while preserving privacy from the surrounding houses. However, if the courtyard was surrounded by rooms on all sides, the view to Lake Biwa would be lost. Therefore, we put a part of the eaves in the outdoor space and a large opening to connect the courtyard and the outside of the house. As a result, it became more like a “semi-courtyard” than a full one.

The courtyard overlooking Lake Biwa, with the clean air flowing from the Hira Mountains, has become a cozy, warm and luxurious outdoor space with an indoor air. In this house, the entrance, windows and all the rooms face the courtyard, and so daily life is naturally centered around it. We wanted to create a house where everything in life is with the courtyard, not just a house overlooking it. The interior of one room is somewhat divided by bending around the courtyard, creating a slightly different space.

design it also wanted to have a loose atmosphere in a good way, where people and things can somehow create a place even if there is no clear shape as a room. We hope a favorite place is chosen according to the season and time, creating a generous and comfortable living atmosphere like drinking coffee at a table overlooking Lake Biwa in the morning

Courtyard House in Otsu City, Shiga – Building Information

Office Name: design it – https://www.designit.me/
Architects: Takashi Ikeda+Takako Ikeda
Office’s Brief Introduction: Architectural design office based in Tokyo and Kansai Area, Japan

Social Media Accounts:
Instagram: @design_it_architects / https://www.instagram.com/design_it_architects/
Facebook: @designitarchitects / https://www.facebook.com/designitarchitects/
Twitter: @design_it_archi / https://twitter.com/design_it_archi
Contact email: i.takako@designit.me
Firm Location: 5-4-19 koti205, Inokashira, Mitaka City, Tokyo, Japan 181-0001

Completion Year: 2020
Gross Built Area (m2/ ft2): 94.34 sqm
Project location: Otsu city, Shiga, Japan
Program: Residence
Structure Engineer: EQSD / Yosuke Misaki
Contractor: Planet Living