Shift
Back to Projects list- Location
- Tokyo, Japan
- Year
- 2010
This house for a couple and their two children is located in a quiet, lush neighborhood on the outskirts of Tokyo. The husband manages an insurance company, while the wife works as a patternmaker and teaches yoga; the house includes an office space and studio so she can teach classes at home With a base of exposed concrete imprinted with the texture of Japanese cedar planks, and a main volume covered with photocatalytic paneling that naturally breaks down pollution, the exterior cuts a striking figure.
While the exterior is closed to the outside world, however, the interior is pierced by a central courtyard. The hollow center makes the house easy to walk around in and allows the presence of other family members to be felt from any room. A tree in the courtyard both serves as a symbol of the house and plays a central role in sustaining the equilibrium of the architecture.
On the ground floor, the living room and dining/kitchen area face each other across the courtyard, while a sculptural staircase is positioned across the courtyard from the entrance. The staircase is a symbolic object that, along with the courtyard, gives a sense of expansiveness to the interior.
The first floor multi-purpose room is used for yoga classes and for other activities, while small gardens are positioned around bedrooms to provide light and fresh air.
The larger courtyard garden allows the family to fully enjoy the four seasons even while living in the city. We hope that the contrast between external and internal worlds felt throughout the house will also help keep daily life fresh for the residents as time passes.