The House of 13 Windows

Johannes van Graan Johannes van Graan
KHS Project, artect design - アルテクト デザイン artect design - アルテクト デザイン Commercial spaces
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Today’s discovery takes us to Fukuoka, located on the northern shore of Japan’s Kyushu Island. Architectural firm Artect Design was responsible for this contemporary/eclectic little structure, that barely exceeds 20 square metres.

Yet, what this commercial ground-floor structure lacks in size, it more than makes up for in its aesthetics, which has a decent serving of both neutral and contemporary (on the outside), and colourful and eclectic (on the inside).

In addition, Artect Design also ensured that their creation is highly insulated, making for a warm and cosy environment during the colder months.

Let’s discover this unique little creation.

13 windows

A contemporary creation that stands steadfast in its location, seemingly rising out of the sloping street. A bunch of different elements jump out from this view. First of all, the dark wooden panelling seems to be the only dark element of the exterior. This immediately catches our vision, but not for long, as the wood is delightfully broken up in numerous places by square windows, in an assortment of sizes. 

The square windows want to come off as rigid, yet portray a very light and playful element of building blocks, as they don’t seem to follow any straight arrangement.  

All of this is tucked away in a niche-like setting, neatly framed by the white roof that protrudes over the entire structure, welcoming us in.

Easy entrance

The left side of the building is where the main entrance is located, neatly shaped into the rectangle structure. Notice how this area has been shaped into a triangle, with its narrow point up ahead, sort of closing off our view of what lies ahead, but placing the door on the right-hand wall, making for easy entrance to the building.  

A continuation of the dark wooden panelling on the outside is found on the ceiling, while the left wall has chosen a calming tone of white. 

Light grey tiles have been laid on the floor, neatly complementing the neutral colour scheme that dominates the exterior.

Light and bright

We enter this little commercial space and it is not what we expect to find at all. Where the outside was contemporary and opted for a darker tone of the neutral palette, the interior decided to go with a lighter and brighter approach. 

Tanned-wooden floors (not at all similar to the darker panelling outside) lead us further in. A reception desk clad in a chocolate tone offsets perfectly with the pristine white waiting couch.

White walls and ceiling add to the cleanliness of the palette, and make the inside seem more spacious and open. 

Stimulate your creativeness when it comes to your walls and floors by checking out some of homify’s inspired ideas.

An air-tight creation

Artect Design made use of insulation for this creation, but also brought in air-tightness to reduce unnecessary heat loss. Air-tightness takes care of air control leakage and may be achieved by the correct and proper installation of a vapour check/barrier. 

Because of this, condensation, mould, rot, damp and structural damage are also eliminated. This ensures a more practical structure, for the insulation layer can now properly perform its duty, as it is protected against penetrating moisture reducing the amount of energy-in-use in the building.

A warm colour wheel

The massage beds have been decked out in a pale orange tone, refreshingly combining with the tanned wooden flooring. 

For an additional spot of brightness, the three primary colours have been added to the bookcase, perfectly breaking up the neutral palette of the interior. These slabs of colour ensure some privacy from the waiting room, as well as add some playful brightness to the room.

Notice how the coloured squares (shall we call them building blocks?) are echoed in the window structures, allowing for decent dashes of natural light to enter the building. Some added foliage is presented in the form of a few potted plants, while a contemporary clock adds some friskiness to the rigidness of the bookcase. 

Built-in ceiling lights round off the interior lighting element.

A glowing interior

As night descends, a warm orange glow starts to radiate from the building. The interior lighting is illuminated in square-shaped rays through the windows, and mirrored against the white protruding concrete slab jutting out above. 

Ground spotlights cast a faint oval-shaped glow on the exterior wooden panelling, effectively lighting up the parking area. A contemporary rectangle-shape structure by day which is slightly transformed with an added shimmering smoothness by night.   

For more inspiration, check out these: Outdoor Lighting Ideas For Modern Houses.

What do you make of this curious Japanese home?

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