HYG Architects' House in Takahatayama Embodies a 'Spatial Continuum' in Japan

Keiichi Yanagihashi, founder of HYG Architects, designed House in Takahatayama for his family in the Tama Hills southwest of Tokyo. The timber-lined home features a blocky form with a grey render exterior and metal roofs, concealing an almost singular internal space. Rooms flow from the entrance through study, dining, kitchen, living, and bedroom areas, divided only by variations in ceiling height, floor levels, and lighting rather than partition walls. Clerestory windows and a curved plaster ceiling create shifting patterns of light and shadow, with the living area opening into a double-height space. The interior is entirely lined with Hinoki plywood, chosen for its warm backdrop that reflects changing daylight. Yanagihashi described the layout as a 'spatial continuum' inspired by the undulating landscape, aiming to translate the experience of navigating hills into the architecture. Enclosed niches in the garden provide seating areas. Photography is by Pep Photography.