Hayato Komatsu Architects

Living with a Small Garden, Looking toward Futabayama
The site is located in a residential neighborhood of Hiroshima City. With an area of 26 tsubo, it faces a road barely wide enough for a small car to pass, and is closely surrounded by neighboring buildings. Under such conditions, it is common to build to the maximum allowable coverage; here, however, a margin was intentionally left along the street and planted with greenery. This small garden lends a sense of moisture and softness to the street, and at times also functions as a parking space, giving the house an open and welcoming presence toward the city. Planting was also introduced on the second-floor terrace, and the resulting exterior—where greenery and architecture are interwoven into a single entity—adds gentle color to the dense urban streetscape. In consideration of the close proximity of the neighboring house, the eaves of the shed roof on the gable side are extended outward, subtly adjusting sightlines while allowing light to reach the planting.
The interior is organized with the second floor as the center of daily life, offering views of the ridgeline of Futabayama to the south and an open expanse of urban sky to the north. In addition, the generously designed ceiling height brings a sense of openness that exceeds the actual floor area.
Engagement with the exterior is an essential element in enriching everyday life. The south-facing terrace serves as a garden for appreciating greenery, and—like the “Eba House”—functions as a tsugi-niwa (a “connected garden”), where the foreground planting is layered with the mountain landscape beyond. Meanwhile, a “window garden” is arranged on the north side of the living room, allowing residents to enjoy urban scenery and the openness of the sky together with greenery.
By carefully reading the site and embracing the constraints of limited area and a dense urban context, this house offers moisture to the streetscape and enables a daily connection with nature. Within its small scale, the project seeks to create a landscape in which city, nature, and people resonate with one another.