photograph by kouichi torimura


What happens when a young married couple asks for a house with a dance studio? A house that would serve as a living and dining room as well.  A.L.X. came up with a an answer to this query by designing  Dancing Living House. The place is situated on a hill in Yokohama, Japan and the most important element of the project was to ensure the soundproofing of the structure. The necessity to design the entire building as one single “device” came up as an answer to the owners’ request to combine both their living needs and their hobby, dancing.

Divided in three several levels the Dancing Living House makes quite an impression with its high white walls and the lack of windows. However it is surprising the amount of light that enters thanks to window in the top of the building which permits the natural light to enter during daytime but also prevent outsiders from looking in. Inside the house all living room walls are covered with mirrors from end to end; this way not only the light is spread around but also the living space looks considerably larger. The project comes with a parking lot leaving an open space in the ground floor. The special design of the structure and the uneven land on which it is built makes everybody think the unthinkable: This House can really dance!

DATA

Dancing Living House

Architects :Junichi Sampei/A.L.X.

Structral engineers:Kume Structural Research & Development Office

Location: Turugamine Asahi-ku Yokohama Japan

Structure: Reinforced concrete

Maximum height 8,300mm

Site area: 101.58m2

Built area: 58.87m2

Total floor area: 155.47m2

1st floor area: 58.87m2(The outside garage is contained.)

2nd floor area: 56.61m2

3rd floor area: 39.99m2

floor plan – level 0

floor plan – level 1

floor plan – level 2

images and project info – courtery of A.L.X. (ARCHITECT LABEL Xain)