架构师提供的文本描述。中川住宅是为两个兄弟和他们的妻子设计的两户住宅。虽然邻近地区大多是住宅区，但这一特定地点位于一条向两个方向流动的河流附近。由于水库位于附近，房子旁边没有其他建筑物。

Text description provided by the architects. Nakanosawa House is a two-household residence designed for two brothers and their wives. Although the adjacent area is mostly residential, this particular site is located near a river that flows in two directions. Because of the reservoir situated nearby, there are no other buildings located next to the house. 

南面有一大片树林，茂密的树叶软化了夏天穿过它的阳光。另一方面，在冬天，阳光穿过树木，照亮了房子的内部。

To the south lies a large grove of trees whose thick foliage softens the sunlight that falls through it during the summer. In the winter, on the other hand, sunlight streams through the trees and brightens the interior of the house.

对于这座住宅的设计来说，相互之间的距离感是必不可少的。在确保房子的两部分都有足够的光线的同时，我们特别小心地将窗户放置在这样的位置上，以防止视线相交。

A mutual sense of distance was essential to the design of this residence. While making sure that each of the two sections of the house received adequate light, we took extra care to position the windows in such a way as to prevent lines of sight from intersecting with each other. 

由此产生的设计使得每个家庭相对地忽略了另一个家庭的存在。由于两户家庭的日程安排、日常生活习惯和生活方式不同，我们决定对建筑外墙使用的材料进行标准化，同时为各自的空间设计不同的室内布局。

The resulting design allowed each household to be relatively oblivious to the presence of the other. Because the two households had different schedules, routines and lifestyle preferences, we decided to standardize the materials used for the façade of the building, while also designing different interior layouts for each respective space.

哥哥和他的妻子住在A座，A座位于大楼的北侧。我们设计了这部分房子，这样它就能达到法律允许的最高高度。

The elder brother and his wife occupy Block A, which is situated on the north side of the building. We designed this part of the house so that it would have the maximum height permissible by law. 

客户要求一个开放的空间，尽可能少的窗户直接打开外部环境。为了回应这些有些矛盾的要求，我们在街区两边安装了封闭的露台，以及打开的大窗户。

The client requested an open space with as few windows as possible opening directly onto the exterior surroundings. In response to these somewhat contradictory demands, we installed enclosed terraces on both sides of the block, as well as large windows that open onto them.

这位弟弟、他的妻子和他们的孩子住在B座。为了避免阳光照射到A座，我们决定把这部分建筑尽可能低一些，比例适中。虽然它的正面不是特别宽，但B座的深度约为24米。

The younger brother, his wife and their child live in Block B. In order to avoid any blockage of sunlight reaching Block A, we decided to give this part of the building as low a profile as possible, with modest proportions. Although its frontage is not particularly wide, Block B has a depth of about 24 meters.

在这座建筑中起着重要作用的另一个空间是两户共用的“车库附件”。虽然车库就在房子前面的街道上，但它的高度降低有助于减轻周围地区的压迫感，同时强调墙的长度。

Another space that plays an essential role in this building is the common “garage annex” shared between the two households. Although the garage comes right up to the street that runs in front of the house, its reduced height helps to alleviate the sense of oppressiveness in the surrounding area while emphasizing the length of the wall at the same time. 

因此，车库是一个不可缺少的工具，将住宅的两个街区整合成一个单一、统一的整体。

The garage is therefore an indispensable tool for integrating the two residential blocks of the house into a single, unified whole.