House in Ota: a wooden, single-story and sawtooth shape building

This is a wooden single-story house designed for a couple and their three children.
The site is located at the border where the urban area, expanding with the progress of development, is engaged in battle with the surrounding farmland (rice paddies); the site is a former rice paddy that has now been developed for residential land. On the western side, the Daimon River flows, with rows of cherry trees along its banks.
The client requested a single-story building.
The building is arranged in a zigzag form enclosing a courtyard, following the shape of the site.
We wondered, “How can we bring natural light inside, while still ensuring privacy?” and “What beautiful ways are there to include light and bring together the external shape and internal space of the building?”
In consideration of privacy, we minimized the size of the window openings at eye level on the road side and placed large windows facing the courtyard, which is also completely closed off from the surroundings by a high wall.
A space reflecting the characteristic sawtooth shape of the exterior of the roof expands underneath it to create a series of sculpture-like spaces.
The internal space expresses minimal details, and the broad ash floor, white walls, and ceiling are flooded with sunlight from the high windows.
As the southing height of the sun changes with the seasons, the sunlight from the high windows bounces off the ceiling in winter to light the room like a reflector.
The space winds its way along, from the entrance, through the hallway, living room, and dining room, to the children’s rooms, looking at the courtyard to the side.
The bay windows protruding from the floor at an angle allow a view of the cherries blossoming along the Daimon River in spring.
The changing area of the bathroom also has a high window, and sunlight floods into the bathroom through the glass screen.
This residence, with its sawtooth roof suggesting an industrial building, resembles a white sculpture.

External finish
Roof / galvanized steel sheet batten seam roof
Flat Roof / sheet roofing for walking
External wall / wood fiber mixed cement board t=14㎜ radical paint
Opening / steel sach and aluminum sach

Internal finish
Living area, Dining area, Kitchen, Children’s bedroom Parent’s bedroom
Floor / the broad ash floor t=15㎜
Wall / plaster board t=12.5㎜ acrylic emulsion paint finish
Ceiling / plaster board t=12.5㎜ acrylic emulsion paint finish