MU consists of a dwelling for a couple combined with a photo studio in the small northern city, Hachinohe, Aomori. People often gathered at the existing studio as if it were a meeting place of the town, and we aimed to maintain that atmosphere while considering the couple's privacy.
In the hard climate, we looked for openness, not only by physical transparency.
In accordance with the neighborhood, the volume is formed into a deconstructed quadrangular pyramid with a low façade facing the street. Inside the pyramid, the privacy-cores are piled in tiers, while the surrounding spaces are open. A privacy-core opens with sliding doors, which enables efficient use in the flexibility to adjust the area of private and public.
With this system, the dwelling can open a lot of the space to the public, and by that the dwellers in this shrinking city can gain social capital through rich relations.