Garage House in Kawagoe / Horibe Associates

Architects: Horibe Associates
Location: Kawagoe-chō, Japan
Lead Architect: Naoko Horibe
Area: 92.75 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Yohei Sasakura, Yunagi Miki

Structure Consultants: Syunya Takahashi Structural Building Research Institute
Construction: Daitoukomuten

Text description provided by the architects. As a true car and bike enthusiast, the client hopes for the ability to see his favorite car from the comfort of his bedroom. His wife wishes for a space in which she could spend quiet time with her dog. The house aims to grant both requests in a two-story residence. The garage space is established on the first level, to house the client’s favorite Maserati Shamal, among other Italian cars and motorcycles.

The family’s residential space is primarily on the second level. In order to secure the tranquility of the second floor, the first floor was planned with durable, reinforced concrete. A courtyard was inserted at the end of the garage, to allow for the release of sound and vehicle exhaust.

The exterior walls of the courtyard are made of hinoki. The sound-absorbing properties of this wood are employed to reduce reverberations. The foliage of the courtyard not only serves as a buffer for engine noise but also contributes to air purification. Each family member in each of their places ― the courthouse plan generates spaces to share the peace of mind and peace of time.