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#RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS

S-HOUSE BY YUUSUUKE KARASAWA ARCHITECTS

A project guided by the complex philosophy of natural networks

The S-House in Omiya, Japan is a particularly unique example of synergy between an architect and client. First of all, the house is a near-perfect reflection of the client’s own personal interests. As a professor, the client studies the complex connections between humans and nature, so Yuusuuke Karasawa‘s Tokyo-based architecture firm set out to explore this same idea in the structure of the house.

Labyrinthine central stairways form a veritable interior network and form the central vertical structure on which the house rests. The stairs split the two storeys into several half-levels. A lack of partitions means that living spaces flow into one another without interruption. Everything feels continuous

To create the structure itself, Karasawa welded 6 millimeter-thick steel plates to form hollow beams that mark each half-level on the facade. This empty space holds electrical equipment and mechanical systems. Glazed windows were fitted in between the steel beams, disrupted only by thin steel columns at the corners – a necessary structural element due to Japan’s high potential for earthquakes.

The extensive use of glass creates a theatrical, almost voyeuristic, aesthetic. The perfect scene for an architectural imitation of life’s intricate ins and outs.

S-HOUSE BY YUUSUUKE KARASAWA ARCHITECTS

Details

  • Omiya, Suginami, Tokyo 168-0061, Japan
  • Yuusuuke Karasawa