Architects: Kazutoshi Imanaga Location: Tokyo, Japan Project Year: 2012 Project Area: 340 sqm Photographs: Courtesy of Imanaga Environmental Planning Office
The aim for the architectural concept of this house is to appeal to the senses – not only to “seeing” but also to “hearing” the sound of water, “smelling” the greenery and “feeling” the breeze in the garden, the warmth of the sunshine and the volume of the air.
The built forms and the outdoor spaces are positioned alternately with boundaries simply of transparent glass. Hence, the effect of a continuum space with an ambiguity between the exterior and the interior.
The main living area is one big space, about 50 tatami mats in size. This floor plan is subtly divided into four smaller areas by the use of furniture, a fireplace and a change in ceiling height.
The luxuriousness of the “SENSE” house is not in the bigness of the space. It is in the creation of an architectural environment which encourages a deeply sensory existence.
