In Hamamatsu, Atsushi and Mayumi Kawamoto of mA-style Architects have built an intriguing single-family home. It consists of three structures: a pair of asymmetrical two-storey wings that support a central, hull-shaped living room that hovers above the unpaved ground. All three volumes are clad in wood, with the middle section featuring graceful, curved outer edges as balconies. Glass partitions separate these terraces from the living room, flooding the space with natural light.
In one volume, the architects tucked the entrance and bathroom below the master bedroom and storage, while the second wing houses the kitchen, dining and office on the ground floor with the children’s bedrooms located above. The interiors feature barely-there finishings, primarily in unfinished wood. For instance, the kitchen and bathroom cabinetry is doorless and storage on the second levels consists of wall-mounted shelves and razor-thin metal rods. Two slim wood staircases are adorned only with white metal banisters, seemingly another nod to the minimalism of nautical living.