MyouKei-An House by kvalito in Ibaraki, Japan

Project: MyouKei-An House Architects: kvalito Location: Ibaraki, Japan Area: 710 sq ft Year: 2023 Photography: Tatsuya Tabii

MyouKei-An House by kvalito in Ibaraki, Japan

The MyouKei-An House, designed by kvalito in Ibaraki, Japan, is a retreat home for a female priest. The site lies along the path to a temple and has limited space requiring landscape enhancement. Privacy was prioritized, leading to a quiet exterior that serves as the temple's rear wall. The interior layout was designed considering the triangular plot shape, creating a planting and integration zone with neighboring vegetation as part of the landscape. Living space can be adapted using sliding doors for flexible usage. The cross-section features a gable structure, creating a rich spatial experience between interior and exterior zones. The design seeks harmonious coexistence of structure and life, offering a foundation for comfortable living.

"MyouKei-An" is a small single-story wooden house designed as a retreat home for the 12th generation female priest. The site was located along the path to a temple, with limited space available. Initially, a standard warehouse and garage were built on the site; thus, it was important to create both a house and enhance the temple's surrounding landscape.

Although there was an opportunity to softly open the house as a living space along the temple path, the client prioritized privacy, so the exterior was designed to be a quiet wall serving as the temple's backside. The wall was slightly extended to act as a blind wall for the existing toilet. To synchronize with the main temple building's tile roof, the external cladding made of stained wood was coated with gray treatment to increase durability while maintaining a calm textured appearance.

To create a comfortable atmosphere on the small plot surrounded by various structures, the main interior space was positioned to utilize the irregular triangular shape of the site as a planting zone and enrich it with lush greenery from adjacent plots. Since the house will be frequently visited, a flow line was designed to separate living space and guest room through the entrance. The simple rectangular form of the living area is intended for future modifications.

The elderly priest spends much time in this small space, and I aimed to create an interior that allows her to feel changes both in layout and cross-section. Regarding the floor plan, the 'living room', 'Japanese-style room', and 'bedroom' can be connected or separated by two sliding doors, creating a layout that expands and contracts according to daily needs. In the cross-section, the main room structure is gabled; half of it represents 'inner space' with a ceiling and the other half 'outer space', where light falls from above the structure. I thought that integrating various types of spaces within a small space would create a rich spatial experience. I aimed for the coexistence of abstract structure and vivid life, adding diagonal beams behind the sloped ceiling, excluding connecting elements to ensure abstraction in the gable while maintaining a low ceiling at the bottom of the house for comfortable living.

When designing the house, the plan should be close to the client's vision and spatial usage will change over time, leaving room for future architects. Acknowledging this fact, I believe we can create a foundation for life by defining the proportions of light and space through the structural framing, ensuring quality in spatial experience and durability as a place to live.

–kvalito