Ozawa design: double tube house

‘double tube house’ by ozawa design in kanagawa, japan all images courtesy ozawa design ‘double tube house’ by yokohama-based architects ozawa design (shun’ich ozawa, atsuko ozawa) is a two

and a half storey office and residence located in kanagawa, japan. resting on a hillside, the design seeks to serve as an ‘observation tower’, establishing wide-scoping views of the natural

and urban landscape beyond. transparent face conceived as two rectangular ‘tubes’ that double in on one another, the house features an expansive square-faced elevation that extrudes out from

the concrete base. the overlapping of the forms determine internal zones and programs, generating a mezzanine level within the upper floor. a contrast in materiality – reinforced concrete

and steel – creates a visual and atmospheric contrast throughout the house. extruding form the lower tube, constructed out of concrete, serves as the basement level of the residence while a

steel frame accommodates a living space and an office. the mezzanine created in the overlap clearly differentiates between the live/work zones, providing spatial boundary to the open space.

  street elevation interior view mezzanine level above the staircase view of living / dining concrete tube (left) stairs from basement (right) living space diagram (left) schematic section

(right) schematic plan site map floor plan / level -1 floor plan / level 0 floor plan / level+1 section with magic arrows section through site