Wave House

A residential home that features an accessible courtyard within.

The client, who works an advertising company and whose hobby is surfing, purchased a land by the beach and intended to build a family house with a courtyard there. The second floor overhangs the entrance approach and parking space for two cars, creating a floating facade.

The house has a U-shaped plan built around the courtyard on the ground floor. The courtyard is accessible directly from outside and we located the bathroom next to the courtyard so that one can directly enter there after coming home from surfing. The children’s room, which is connected to a study room, is also situated next to the courtyard so that they can comfortably study there while enjoying the view of the family’s memorial tree and the natural surroundings at the same time.

The second floor is an open space where they can observe the growing process of the memorial tree in the courtyard below. The kitchen in the back is a convenient open-counter style, and is connected to the dining room with a wide corner window. The living room is situated on the other side of the courtyard at the slightly lower level, connected to the dining room with a gently inclined ramp. The large roof balcony is situated on the street side, providing a sense of openness and protecting the privacy at the same time. The window can be fully opened, connecting the interior and exterior spaces seamlessly. We intended to create a dramatic effect by locating rooms at different levels.

The family members on different floor levels can look up or down at each other across the courtyard. The repetitious pattern of wood strips on the ceiling provides the unique rhythmic accent above a simple space.