The Kyoto house is breezy and dynamic It?s always exciting to see how the Japanese do residential architecture: from skinny structures to prefabs, Japanese homes take advantage of their sites in ingenious ways.
Take this contemporary home in the suburbs of Kyoto, for instance. Designed by architect Hiroto Kawaguchi, the house for a young family incorporates several volumes, heights, and openings to create a space that not only opens up to the surrounding natural landscape but also establishes a connection within and without.

Divided into three sections, the Newton House, as it?s called, includes an area for the parents, an area for the children, and, of course, an area for the entire family in the central, courtyard-like atrium that anchors the dwelling.
Each ?house? is topped by a pitched roof, with the main space set below the largest and most dramatic of the three. Clad in light wood or otherwise painted white, the interiors are punctuated with glazed expanses, sliding glass doors, and a number of clerestory and regular windows. These keep the residence breezy and open to the elements, while also facilitating dynamic living.

Built-in furniture and storage, including a sunken seating area that opens onto a balcony and a staircase that also functions as a double desk, increase the efficiency of the home, which places a dining area on a lofted gallery space and the galley kitchen in a side corridor. Ta...