Yuji Kimura Design conceals terraces at House K behind a tall wall
Japanese studio Yuji Kimura Design has hidden this Tokyo house behind a tall white wall to maintain the residents' privacy (+ slideshow).
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_3.jpg)
The client for House K wanted private terraces to relax outdoors, but the house is on a street with busier-than-normal traffic so Yuji Kimura Design concealed the balconies around the side of the three-storey wall facing the road.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
"Since the owner requested a residence with deck space, I created a big wall blocking the line of sight from the road, and designed the house as an elongated box extending from east to west," explained Kimura.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
The front facade has a small window on the ground floor to bring light into the entrance hall, and a larger opening on the first floor to allow illuminate the bedrooms and upper terrace along that side of the house.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_0.jpg)
The bedrooms and terraces are arranged along the southern facade, enjoying good natural light throughout the day, with slatted timber and translucent panels to screen the terraces from passersby.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_4.jpg)
On the northern facade, smaller horizontal slit windows bring light into the living room and toilet on the ground floor, and the bathroom and hallway on the first floor.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_6.jpg)
Storage has been concentrated in the entrance hall on the ground floor, with full-height cabinets built into the walls and recessed handles to give them a more streamlined appearance.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_10.jpg)
The hall leads to an open-plan living space, with a kitchen and dining room to the back, and a study to the side. The ground floor also has a toilet with a door that extends up to the ceiling, so it feels more like a part of the wall when closed.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_7.jpg)
A steel staircase has open timber treads to enable more light to flow between the upper and lower floors.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_8.jpg)
Private areas are concentrated on the first floor, with three bedrooms along one side, and a bathroom and separate toilet along the other. As with the toilet downstairs, these rooms also feature full-height doors to give them a less obtrusive appearance when closed.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_9.jpg)
Throughout both floors, Yuji Kimura has used a simple material palette of white walls and light timber floors.
Photography is by Takumi Ota.
Here is some more information from Yuji Kimura Design:
House K, Tokyo
This house has a white appearance with a large wall blocking the front.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_11.jpg)
The site is located in an area with comparatively busy traffic, and surrounded by houses on both sides and right behind. Since the owner requested a residence with deck space, I created a big wall blocking the line of sight from the road, and designed the house as an elongated box extending from east to west.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_12.jpg)
The bedrooms were arranged on the south, and large windows were centralised on the south side to bring in sunshine. By contrast, the north side features slot windows.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_13.jpg)
The entrance hall has large-scale storage along the whole surface, at the owner's request. Next to it is an open space with the living area and a kitchen-diner. The thin steel stairs have been placed in such a way as to gently separate these two spaces.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_15.jpg)
This stairwell continues to the loft, and helps to bring light into the inner part of the house.
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_468_16.jpg)
The second floor has a bathroom, toilet, and bedrooms, and leads out to a balcony.
Design: Yuji Kimura Design
Construction: Sanryo Komuten K.K.
Site area: 120.1 square metres
Building area: 47.99 square metres
Total area: 95.98 square metres
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_17.gif)
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_18.gif)
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_19.gif)
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_20.gif)
![House K by Yuji Kimura Design](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/06/House-K-by-Yuji-Kimura-Design_dezeen_22.gif)