House of Light and Wood

By Savitha Hira

Photography: Toshihisa Ishii; courtesy Ar. Masahiko Sato

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Ar. Masahiko Sato introduces the warmth of wood in this refurbishing exercise in Miyazaki city on Kyushu Island in Japan.

The architect first sets out to dispel the coldness of concrete – the envelope that wraps the independent residence. Ushering in the use of wood, he chisels out a warm living area overlooking the garden and a double-height dining area that connects to the upper level of the two-storey residence, with a feeling of camaraderie.

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Simultaneously addressing thermal insulation and a warm aesthetic, wood freely wraps the false ceiling in the living room, extending right up to the floor above in a continuous ribbon. Several walls and floors are also clad in wood, accomplishing a continuous aesthetic of umber and white that adds an interesting dimension to the space.

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Vertical lines augment the ceiling height of 7.3 metres, with windows too carved out as vertical slits. The home comes alive as a juxtaposition of planes – perpendicular and parallel; the composition balanced by strategic curves – an elongated oval centre table in the living room and an angular balcony in the atrium at the entrance. Built form and voids create a puzzle -like pattern, opening up the home to its surroundings with the terrace abutting the living spaces in a few areas.

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Light – natural and artificial, becomes the unifying factor, as the home is liberally flooded with daylight streaming in through large windows and patio doors; and by night, through recessed lights that follow the timber pattern, complementing and completing it.

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The large, almost 300 sq. m. home is also anointed with its elements of quirk – the heavy leather-covered furniture in the minimalist setting; the barbeque counter in the garden - a proclamation of a penchant for entertaining; and the timber-louvered enclosure to the bathroom that is at once spunky as it is chic and understated.