House in Fuji by office m-sa

Studio: office m-sa
Location: Fuji, Shizuoka
Phase: Finished construction
Gross Floor Area: 194m2
Design Date: 2015-2016
Construction Date: 2016-2017
Developer: Private
Architects: Meiri Shinohara(office m-sa), Yohei Mochizuki
Photographs: ©Kazuhisa Kota

The home entry has concrete walls and flooring, and a modern staircase flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows.
The home entry has concrete walls and flooring, and a modern staircase flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows.
Natural light flooded this corridor lined with an elongated built-in bench.
Natural light flooded this corridor lined with an elongated built-in bench.
Full-height glazing provides the corridor with expansive views.
Full-height glazing provides the corridor with expansive views.
The corridor leads to a bridge framed with wrought iron railings.
The corridor leads to a bridge framed with wrought iron railings.
The built-in bench doubles as a desk.
The built-in bench doubles as a desk.
It can be utilized as a study or a hangout place.
It can be utilized as a study or a hangout place.
This bedroom features a beamed ceiling in built-in cabinets integrated with desks.
This bedroom features a beamed ceiling in built-in cabinets integrated with desks.
The beamed ceiling also crowns the living area.
The beamed ceiling also crowns the living area.
Top view of the living area from the second-level balcony.
Top view of the living area from the second-level balcony.
A large unified space combines the living room, dining area, and kitchen.
A large unified space combines the living room, dining area, and kitchen.
Exterior view of the house showcasing its concrete walls and bridges.
Exterior view of the house showcasing its concrete walls and bridges.
Floor-to-ceiling cabinets serve as a divider in the second bedroom.
Floor-to-ceiling cabinets serve as a divider in the second bedroom. 
This bedroom has a single bed, a TV, and a storage bench topped with vase and pillows.
This bedroom has a single bed, a TV, and a storage bench topped with vase and pillows.
The ensuite is equipped with a wooden vanity, a washing machine, and a tub and shower combo.
The ensuite is equipped with a wooden vanity, a washing machine, and a tub and shower combo.
View of the house from the street with warm lights complementing the home's concrete exterior.
View of the house from the street with warm lights complementing the home’s concrete exterior.
Top view of the courtyard that's adorned with a lovely plant.
Top view of the courtyard that’s adorned with a lovely plant.
Sliding windows provide a peek at the family's lives.
Sliding windows provide a peek at the family’s lives.

We were asked to design a residential house for a family of 7 at the foot of the Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka, from where the summit can be seen clearly. The clients family truely embraced an intergeneration- al family dynamic with kindergarten age children to grandmothers over 90 years old co-habitating the same space spanning 3 generations.

The house is composed of a courtyard and stacking 6 different size of small boxes of which each box allows the change following needs of growing family. Joining with series of bridge the boxes can be circulated around a courtyard with no dead end. By offsetting the boxes, it creates different terraces and eave spaces of which the buffer spaces can be used effectively.

There are two ways approaching each room, by passing through the bridge or terrace. The bridges with benches and desks bring the lives overflowing from each of boxes. The lives of the family sometimes are revealing and sometimes are hidden. By bringing lives and allowing change of use in each space, the building can organically grow with the family.

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Jon Dykstra owns an interior design company in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He's fascinated by architecture and interiors. He also enjoys gardening at his "house in the burbs" and "homesteading" at his off-the-grid boat-access cabin.

Combine all that with a love of writing and Homestratsophere.com was born. He balances his working time between running his interior design company, working on his off-the-grid cabin and publishing homestratosphere.com.

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