Located in Tokyo, Balcony House designed by Takeshi Hosaka Architects features balconies, which are integrated as interior architectural elements in their own right.
Takeshi Hosaka has drawn from houses of the surrounding area, where balconies are used as a communication tool amongst neighbors, inverting these platforms to create clusters of social activity within the compact interior. The large and small platforms create a feeling of being outside, bringing life into the 73 sqm space and splitting activities in several levels.
Placed within close distance to each other, the balconies facilitate different functions: the couple’s bedroom and clothes storage, the child’s space, the guest balcony, and the dressing and makeup area. Additionally, a small space on the highest level with access to the roof terrace acts as a mini balcony where children can gather and play, another small area with a hammock for reading and sleeping, and a cloth drying balcony on the south side where laundry can be hung out to dry.
"When I looked at the neighborhood, the window with low fence and the balcony were in every house, it was also a place and tool for communication with the town." – Takeshi Hosaka Architects
