![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_12.jpg)
House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe
This family house by architect Naoko Horibe features a traditional Japanese-style room with tatami mats inside a protruding, timber-clad mezzanine.
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_10.jpg)
The washitsu (Japanese-style room) is a common feature in modern Japanese houses but in this h0use, rather than linking to the yōshitsu (Western-style rooms) via sliding shōji screens, it features internal windows offering views of the living areas below and children's bedrooms above.
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_11.jpg)
Externally, the projecting tatami rood is clad in timber. The house is in Kyobate, a suburb in Nara Prefecture close to Osaka.
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_17.jpg)
Washitsu have featured in a few buildings we've published on Dezeen, including a tea house on stilts and a house with three layers of walls and ceilings.
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_6.jpg)
See more stories about Japanese houses »
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Photography is by Eiji Tomita.
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_19.jpg)
Here's some extra details from Naoko Horibe:
House in Kyobate
This home for a family with young children centers around a Japanese-style mezzanine with tatami flooring.
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_8.jpg)
Extending out into the first floor living/dining/kitchen area, and with a view of both that room and the second floor children's rooms, the mezzanine serves to link the various spaces within the home.
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_16.jpg)
It also accents the building's exterior, pushing out beyond the rest of the facade.
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_9.jpg)
From the central mezzanine to the linked children's rooms and the living/dining/kitchen area with its vertical void, this home offers a diversity of living spaces that come together to provide a fun and stimulating environment for the residents.
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_14.jpg)
Design to completion: March 2011-August 2011
Location: Nara-Shi, NARA
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_4.jpg)
Primary usage: Residence
Structure: wooden construction, two stories above ground
Family structure: Couple with two children
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_13.jpg)
Site area: 165.34 m2
Building area: 52.17 m2
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_18.jpg)
Total floor space: 93.58 m2
Architect: Naoko Horibe
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_1.gif)
First floor:
1. Entrance
2. shoe closet
3. Living room & Dining room
4. Kitchen
5. Lavatory
6. Washroom
7. Bathroom
8. Drying place
9. Parking space
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_2.gif)
Second floor
10. Tatami room
11. Child's bedroom
12. Master bedroom
![House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe House in Kyobate by Naoko Horibe](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_House-in-Kyobate-by-Naoko-Horibe_3.gif)