Established in 2002 by Sato Oki, Nendo is a well-known Japanese architectural firm having its office at Tokyo. The firm has worked with numerous brands and have won many awards through its professional journey.
The firm was hired to design a family house located at a residential area of Tokyo. The luxurious but simple house is sufficient to serve three generation of the same family. The building comprises a unique design in which the architectural volume was taken to the north to avail ventilation, sunlight and greenery of the yard into the inner spaces . Furthermore, the architect has beautifully preserved an existing persimmon tree loved by previous generations that is located and front yard.
The home has a cuboid form that comprises large continues staircase, green themed interior, wooden flooring, glass door and aluminum windows.
With classical traditional interior, the ground floor keeps a bed room, a study room, a living/dining room and a toilet. It offers storage room and a separate room for cats. An elderly couple lives on the ground floor with their eight cats.It helps older couple roam in and outdoors more freely .The mother is very keen of gardening so lawn is easily accessible from here.
“To avoid the two households being completely separated at the top and bottom, a ‘stairway-like’ structure was designed in the south yard, continuing upward into the building and penetrating the 1st through 3rd floors,” explains Nendo. “Enclosed inside the ‘stairway’ are functional elements, such as bathrooms and a staircase for actual use, with the upper part taking on the look of a semi-outdoor greenhouse with abundant greenery as well as a sun-soaked perch for the cats to enjoy climbing.”
The younger couple and their child take up the first and second floors. It includes a couple of bedrooms, living/dining room, kitchen, a bathroom and storage room. A “stairway-like” structure was designed in the south yard to avoid the both families being completely separated .The stair case keeps functional elements, such as bathrooms and a stores.
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