Project Name: House in Takahata Mountain

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Architecture Team: HYG ARCHITECTS

Total Floor Area: 60.70m²

Site Area: 169.43m²

Building Area: 63.75m²

Completion: September 2022

Construction: Kimura Industry

Structural Design: mhr Tomohiro Umehara

Structure Type: Wooden Construction

Custom Sofa: FUJITAKE WORKS

Custom Glass: Shiho Fujiki

Landscape Design: Fuwari

Photography: Ryo Yahara (Pepp Photograph), HYG ARCHITECTS

Feature：

Project - HYG ARCHITECTS and Harumi Sakurai have unveiled House in Takahata Mountain, a thoughtfully crafted residence nestled in the hillside suburbs of Hino, Tokyo. This intimate single-story dwelling serves as the architects' own home, masterfully demonstrating how compact living spaces can achieve harmony with their natural surroundings.

Located on the southern slopes of the Tama Hills, the 60.7-square-meter home introduces an innovative approach to residential architecture through its distinctive jagged floor plan. The design responds directly to both the site's topography and the architects' passion for outdoor activities, incorporating what they describe as "hiking gear-like lightness" into the architectural composition.

The home's most striking feature is its sequence of interconnected spaces that mirror the natural progression of the surrounding landscape. The architects have arranged the dining room, kitchen, living room, and bedroom in a continuous chain, creating a fluid journey through the house that echoes the experience of ascending the nearby mountain ridge. Each room opens onto carefully curated garden spaces, with the building's irregular outline forming intimate outdoor niches that serve as engawa-style verandas and terraces.

What sets this project apart is its sophisticated manipulation of natural light. Each room has been precisely engineered to capture different qualities of illumination: dappled morning light filters through trees into the dining area, diffused daylight bathes the living room in soft brightness, and a strategically placed skylight creates dramatic light and shadow play in the bedroom. The living room, in particular, features an innovative curved plaster ceiling that distributes light evenly throughout the space, while reflecting the changing atmospheric conditions throughout the day.

Despite its modest footprint, the house achieves remarkable spatial efficiency through multifunctional spaces that seamlessly transition between public and private uses. The minimalist interior palette, anchored by beautiful hinoki plywood, creates a neutral canvas that heightens awareness of the external environment's subtle changes, establishing a living space that truly breathes with its surroundings.

Design Team - HYG ARCHITECTS, founded in 2022 in Tokyo, represents a significant collaboration between two distinguished Japanese architects, Kohshi Higaki and Keiichi Yanagihashi. The firm's name embodies their design philosophy of creating architecture that harmoniously integrates with its context while pushing the boundaries of contemporary Japanese design.

The practice combines the diverse expertise of its founding partners, who bring extensive experience from their previous roles at prominent Japanese firms. Kohshi Higaki, who previously worked at SALHAUS, contributed to significant public projects including the Rikuzentakata City Takata East Junior High School and the Goishi Coast Camp Information Center. Keiichi Yanagihashi, formerly with Chiba Manabu Architects, has led numerous notable projects including the Kogakuin University 125th Anniversary Educational Building and several reconstruction housing projects in Kamaishi City.

The firm specializes in a wide range of typologies, from residential architecture to public facilities, with a particular emphasis on contextual sensitivity and spatial innovation. Their design approach is characterized by meticulous attention to environmental conditions, masterful manipulation of natural light, and sophisticated material articulation. Their work consistently demonstrates a deep understanding of traditional Japanese spatial concepts while incorporating contemporary sustainable design strategies.

Most recently, their House in Takahata Mountain project has garnered attention for its innovative approach to compact living and its sophisticated integration with the surrounding landscape, exemplifying the firm's commitment to creating architecture that responds thoughtfully to both site and user needs.