Horton Kuwada Residence

Horton Kuwada Residence

The shift in scale from the mile grid of the American Midwestern landscape to the interiority of domestic rituals seems radically opposed, but when interpreted through each other they can be reframed and redefined, each gaining from its position against the other. Architecture becomes the mediator of these two forces.

This project, a house for a family of four, restructures the relationships of domestic programs within the landscape, elevating everyday routine to ritual. These rituals mediate the multiple cultures of the family (Japanese and American) and find their source in the clients’ desires.

The clients requested specific features of Japanese residential design be incorporated into the design (a place within the entry to remove and store shoes, an alcove for hanging precious scrolls, a courtyard, and a soaking bath). Each element provided the opportunity to spatially enhance the rituals of daily life and frame them within the larger context of the site.