In Toyama City, Japan, architects Plan 21 designed this thoughtful, multi-generational home in a bid to rethink the idea of shared family living. Balancing togetherness with independence, the project splits the home with each side fitting the needs of its residents. By dividing the project into two separate buildings – a single-story home for the mother and a two-storey residence for her son and daughter-in-law, the house can accommodate two distinct lifestyles. Although each house functions independently and effectively sits on its own plot, they were carefully composed to read as a single architectural vision.

Linking the two homes together is a lush, planted courtyard filled with greenery that acts as a buffer. Devised as a shared physical and social divide from one another, the garden creates a comfortable distance between generations, offering a space to meet naturally while offering the necessary privacy. As the planting thrives, it will spill beyond the site, offering lush layers of greenery between the street and the home.

Large timber sliding windows and deep roof canopies strengthen the relationship between the homes, the angled roof line matching the buildings together despite the break between them. For both houses, the sheltered, shaded spaces created by the overhanging roofs blur the boundary between inside and outside, encouraging everyday life to extend into the courtyard. Inside, the homes were designed with open interiors arranged to flow towards the light-filled openings that step into the courtyard. While separate, the two homes are nonetheless connected, the thoughtful design creating homes that allow the older and younger generation to thrive. 

Photography © Akira Ueda