© Atelier Vincent Hecht
The residential house in Takasaki, about 100 km northeast of Tokyo, is not only home to a family of four. It also represents a sensual interplay of contrasts: light and heavy, bright and dark, lavish and modest, extroverted and introverted. In this regard, the building envelope plays a key role. It abstains from defining a clear border between the square floor plan and the surroundings. Instead, the flowing transition between the two facade layers envelops the interiors. The outer layer consists of 3.3 m tall translucent polycarbonate elements that are reminiscent of canted sheet metal. They constitute an homogeneous frame that seemingly floats 2.5 m above grade.