Light well house is a small 2 storey residence in a dense residential neighbourhood. The layout of the house is a open plan without partitions; living space on the ground floor, the bedroom and bathroom located on the upper floor. As a light source, both floors has openings on the east and west side, as well as the 5 light wells, which seems to be located randomly, but in fact functions as the structural columns spanning through floors supporting the roof. It is like trees in a forest which defines the room functions and circulations of the people.
The kitchen of this house is an island kitchen with an additional sub-counter, located on the ground floor in-between the entrance and dining space with large windows. Although, at the first sight, it's a modest custom made kitchen; 24mm-thick cabinet doors made of white painted lauan plywood, simply screwed together and the countertop being a simple stainless steel plate, its charm lies in the square proportion, which can be accessed from all sides with a flow of movement. The position of the counter is not arbitrary. It is designed to have a circular and rhythmical circulation when entering house after shopping: Entrance→Refrigerator→Preparation counter→Sink→Stove. Simultaneously the storage area under the counter is also designed in order to have an easy access to the material and equipment to go along with the movement. The cabinet depths varies from 90mm to 880mm, which allows various size of objects; from the small seasoning bottles to the the pans and hot plates, to be accommodated neatly.
The sub-counter is used to place plates, and its countertop is the location for the home appliances, such as microwave and toasters, as well as used for serving and working surface.The ventilation hood and cover of ducts are also made of the same plywood, equipped with the lighting fixture and small pipes to hook the cooking utensils. These pipes are places in many places in the house, of which the inhabitants are requested to be creative to come up with the different use.
I consider that kitchens should be a complete working space. It has to be safe, hygienic and efficient. At the same time, it has to provide freedom and fun to the users. That's the essence of our life. This kitchen is located in the center of the living space. Here kids can cook, as if they play whirling around the kitchen. As we move around in a circular motion, what we see keep switching - the landscape through the window, natural light, elements of the house, and faces of the family - That’s all what I wanted to create designing this kitchen.
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Kitchen during cooking.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
Dining space facing to the kitchen.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
Looking toward Kitchen from the entrance.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
‘Doma’ (Inside-outside space) and kitchen with integrated stoves and refrigerator.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
Looking at the kitchen right after entering from the entrance. The stair to the second floor is seen in the back.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
Kitchen is positioned in the center of the ground floor.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
Closed up view of the kitchen. Utensils are hung from the hanger pipes attached to the ventilation hood.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
Food being served.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
Ceiling of the kitchen. The square opening is the exit of the light well.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
View of the second floor level. Light wells are positioned randomly.
Yoshiyuki Hirai
East side exterior view. The garden and dining space are connected by opening the 3 pieces sliding door.
Keiichi Hayashi was born in 1967 in Osaka. In 1991 he graduated from Faculty of Metallurgical Engineering at Kansai University, and in 1993 from Faculty of Architecture at Kansai University. Since 1997, he is a principal of Keiichi Hayashi Architect Design. As his design philosophy, it is important for him to create Architecture using basic materials and straightforward construction methods. His attempt is to create a system that is based on a simple architecture but that becomes complex when people use it.
