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Light Walls House by mA-style Architects

Perimeter skylights throw light across a grid of exposed wooden ceiling beams inside our second house this week from Japanese studio mA-style Architects (+ slideshow).

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Positioned in a shady location between two neighbouring buildings in Aichi, Japan, the wooden house couldn't have many windows, so mA-style Architects added skylights around each side of the flat roof.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Daylight disperses itself through the interior by bouncing off both the ceiling beams and the laminated wooden walls.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

"The design intended to create a space with uniformly distributed light by adjusting the way of letting daylight in and the way of directing the light," said the architects.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Bedrooms and storage spaces are contained within two-storey boxes scattered through the interior. Rectangular openings lead into the spaces, plus those at first-floor are accessed using wooden ladders.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

"Considering each box as a house, the empty spaces in between can be seen as paths of plazas and remind us of a small town enclosed in light," the architects added.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

A bathroom, a study space, bookshelves and a kitchen with steel surfaces line the perimeter of the open-plan space.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

White-painted wooden panels clad the exterior of the rectilinear structure, including a sliding door that gives the house a corner entrance.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Led by partners Atsushi and Mayumi Kawamoto, mA-style Architects has also completed a house with small attic spaces tucked into the triangular roof and an elevated house that points out like a giant rectangular telescope.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

See more architecture by mA-style Architects »
See more Japanese houses »

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Photography is by Kai Nakamura.

Here's a project description from the architects:


Light Walls House

The site is in a shady location where a two-story neighbouring house closely stands on the south side, and even the shade and shadow on the path intensify the impression of darkness.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Therefore, the design intended to create a space with uniformly distributed light by adjusting the way of letting daylight in, and the way of directing the light.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

By taking into consideration the space for the residents, the functions for living, and the relationship with the surrounding environment, creation of a diversity and richness in the house was intended by controlling the concept of light.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Along the edges of the 9.1m square roof, sky lights are made, as if creating an outline, in order to provide sunlight.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

The roof beams narrow the sunlight, and the slightly angled clapboard interior walls with laminated wood reflect and diffuse the light.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

As a result, soft and uniformly distributed light is created and surrounds the entire space.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Along the outline of lighting, work spaces such as a kitchen, bathroom, and study are arranged. Private spaces such as bedrooms and storage are allocated into four boxes.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

The path-like spaces created between them are public spaces. Each box attempts to balance within a large spatial volume.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Light coupled with the rhythm of scale raises the possibilities of the living space for the residents.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

Considering each box as a house, the empty spaces in between can be seen as paths or plazas, and remind us of a small town enclosed in light.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

The empty spaces, which cause shortening or elongating of distances between people, are intermediate spaces for the residents, as well as intermediate spaces that are connected to the outside when the corridor is open, and these are the image of a social structure that includes a variety of individuals.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects

In terms of a natural component, in which light is softened by small manipulations, and of a social component, in which a town is created in the house, this house turned out to be a courtyard house of light where new values are discovered.

Light Walls House by mA-style architects
Floor plan
Light Walls House by mA-style architects
Concept diagram