YNH | yHa architects

Japanese architectural firm yHa architects has recently completed the YNH house located in Tokyo, Japan.

The facade has “autonomously” opening system grid-like continuous pattern and its size are “heteronomously” translated in relation to views or surrounding environment or interior function.

yujin HIRASE, founder of yHa architects

+ Project description by yHa architects

I thought mainly how to connect with time axis of surrounding history of the site that a military commander made a “fort” during the Age of Civil Wars (15-16th century) . The site of north/west is road and south/east is the neighboring house, so the major theme is the way of taking a sunlight.

YNH, image courtesy yHa architects | Photo © Takeshi YAMAGISHI

I designed 3-floor void as “light-tube” by analogy of “fort” like Scotish Tower-House. The room on each floor are arranged around “light-tube” like a square in the house and the inner-opening facing the void make a role as linking by one’s eyes between the room.

YNH, image courtesy yHa architects | Photo © Takeshi YAMAGISHI

The facade has “autonomously” opening system grid-like continuous pattern and its size are “heteronomously” translated in relation to views or surrounding environment or interior function.

YNH, image courtesy yHa architects | Photo © Takeshi YAMAGISHI

By putting opening continuously in a height of eye-level and designing the details of opening frame close to frame-less, our eyes go through inside and outside although narrow space so we don’t feel the oppression. The room has same specifications that is exchangeable for other functions. I proposed the “prototype” architecture by grasping the delicate differences of surrounding environment.

YNH, image courtesy yHa architects

In considering the context with the surrounding environment, in Japan I think the ground is texture or color of the structures for public use (e.g. road) these are remaining almost same in the future more than the form or place of opening of surrounding architecture. I designed this architecture like “fort” in the city continuously from the texture or color of road in front of this site.

YNH, drawings courtesy yHa architects

+ Project credits / data

Architect: yujin HIRASE | yHa architects | http://yha.jp
Project: YNH
Location: Japan
Photography: © Takeshi YAMAGISHI, yHa architects

+ About yujin HIRASE

yujin HIRASE | Architect, Japan | Born in Tokyo (Japan)

• 1999 Studies in Architecture at Waseda University
• 2001 Diploma at Waseda University Graduate School
• 2001-07 Collaborations with Prof. Nobuaki Furuya and NASCA (Japan)
• 2007- yHa architects (Japan)
• 2007-08 Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists, Agency for Cultural Affairs (Switzerland)
• Collaborations with HHF architects

Teaching

• 2003-06 Assistant at Waseda University
• 2005-07 Lecturer at Kyoto University of Art and Design
• 2006-07 Lecturer at Waseda University
• 2006-07 Research Assistant at Waseda University
• 2008- Associate Professor at Saga University

+ All images courtesy yHa architects | Photo © Takeshi YAMAGISHI