Kichi Architectural Design completes cube-shaped House of Kubogaoka
This cube-shaped house in Ibaraki Prefecture with small square windows dotted around its facades is the second project we've featured by Japanese studio Kichi Architectural Design (+ slideshow).
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_2.jpg)
House of Kubogaoka was built by Kichi Architectural Design with a timber framework but its front and rear facades are rendered with plaster, creating the impression that the house is constructed from solid concrete.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_3.jpg)
Unlike these two facades, the two side walls are painted white. "White has been added to the basic colour of the mortar of the exterior walls to achieve a clear contrast," said the architects.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_4.jpg)
One corner of the house appears to have been cut away, giving the home its main entrance.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_5.jpg)
Inside, a corridor extends through to a terrace at the rear and features a dark tiled surface that the architects compare to the earth floors of traditional Japanese dwellings.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_8.jpg)
"When you open the front door, you will see an earth-floored room like that of an old Japanese house, extending all the way to the yard beyond," said the architects.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_11.jpg)
The rest of this storey is raised up by two steps. This difference in level is marked by a change in material, as the floor changes to a wooden surface.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_14.jpg)
A few steps further and this surface changes again, accommodating a grid of tatami mats that create a traditional Japanese room.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_6.jpg)
"By combining tatami and tiles, Japanese style and western style are harmonised," added the architects.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_15.jpg)
Sliding partitions allow residents to separate the Japanese room from a long and narrow space that functions as a living room, dining room and kitchen.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_19.jpg)
A outdoor dining area sits within a recess at the back of the house, lining up with a sheltered balcony on the floor above.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_23.jpg)
A staircase with wooden treads leads to the upper storey, where two bedrooms are positioned along opposite walls and a second tatami room sits in between.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_27.jpg)
Photography is by Ippei Shinzawa.
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_29.gif)
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_30.gif)
![House of Kubogaoka by Kichi Architectural Design Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/03/House-of-Kubogaoka-by-Kichi-Architectural-Design-Studio_dezeen_31.gif)