The objective for this residence in Tokyo, Japan was to make the interior as spacious as possible, while maintaining a secure and secluded look from the outside. In order to achieve this, the architects made the living, dining and kitchen on the top floor, allowing for these areas to take as much light in as possible. All of this is enclosed together with a courtyard, dubbed ‘Floating Patio’, with walls to prevent gaze from the outside.
The basement includes another thin courtyard, to link the top courtyard, and allow for light to pass through and illuminate the bedrooms and bathrooms, although they are located in the basement.
The client desired a simple residence with a interior wide open inside but cannot be perceived from outside. This wish became the entire concept of the residence.
The first floor that is inserted between two private spaces on the top and the bottom is designed as more intimate space to the outside world compared to the two different floors. The Japanese-style room on the floor is designed to hold tea ceremonies. The second floor ‘ s floating structure serves as a large roof for the first floor which created the open and dynamic space around the structure surrounding the Japanese-style room. The space is analogous to Roji-a designed alley in the context of traditional Japanese garden and the Japanese-style room will become a tearoom in the Roji.