Snail Haus

Quality Family Time in a 90m² Space

The site stands on a corner which is one street behind the bus road of a tranquil residential area with a big, open sky over us. The neighborhood has been quartered into different districts and we start to see normal-sized houses lately, but it has always been a town where Japanese-style mansions stand side by side. This is where I proposed a massive wooden-one-story house whose construction site area and architectural area is 49坪/163m².

Site Environment and Plan

The first thing I focused on at the planning phase was to create an outdoor space which is completely secured of privacy from outside. Then I came up with an idea to create an outdoor space or courtyard in the center of the building by utilizing its large site. As the building is a flat house, the courtyard will attract light during winter time and maintain a nice environment.

This courtyard is a continuous space with the living, dining and kitchen. It is not just a garden to look at, nor is it an open-air terrace which is only used several times a year – but functions as a new outdoor space, namely outdoor living space. There are some works in to prevent strong sunlight during summer, the roof and parasol to take shelter from rains, as well as furniture such as sofa and table installed at all times. The design which blurs the border between the outside and inside and invites you to go outside naturally──I tried to make it a living room rather than a garden or terrace. The space for quality family time that extends 29帖/53㎡ for the LDK and 20帖/36㎡ for the outdoor living space, in total約50帖/Approx. 90㎡.

When I took consideration of the surrounding environment, site condition, indoor space, consideration towards the townscape and privacy inside the courtyard comprehensively to determine the shape of the building and roof, it became like a snail whose roof surrounds the courtyard. This is the origin of “Snail Haus”.

Space-Making with Mega Furniture

The large and high-ceiling LDK at “Snail Haus” has large [furniture] which could symbolize the house installed. This [furniture] can be a bookshelf, a raised-seating area, a Kotatsu with backrest, or a structure which makes a loft space above.

The [furniture] was designed in a way to build-in [a group of bookshelves]. In its small cave-like space lies Kotatsu, the Japanese foor warming table. Kotatsu brings family and friends together in a small space to relax. This is why I think the low-ceiling, medium-sized space was the most appropriate. It made a little change in the vast LDK by placing a little relaxing space inside.

Part of the bookshelf can turn into a display shelf, or you can place TV inside, make it into a staircase or a storage with doors – so many possibilities are available with the design.