Bay Window Tower House

Two things would immediately catch one’s attention upon seeing this project. Its unusual form—at least for a residence—and its façade material. The owners—who are also the architects—wanted the architecture to last beyond its current use and even occupants. “We designed our own residence and office on a narrow lot in the heart of the city […]

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The floating spaces of Villa Tsukuba

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“Nature is beautiful in itself, without artificial manipulation,” writes the architects of this residence. Located in Ibaraki Prefecture, a region known for its agricultural produce, the primary goal of this design was to incorporate the surrounding views of Nature—rice fields and the towering Mount Tsukuba—into the residents’ living space. Built for a client who is […]

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TOKYO TORCH Redevelopment District: Where the ‘City’s Courtyard’ Meets its Tallest Towers

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Today, Tokiwabashi is being invigorated beyond just economic functionality to further imbue joy, pride and happiness into the city. The redevelopment district called TOKYO TORCH will create 2 hectares of open public space in the centre of the city, including the eight-storey podium of Torch Tower, which is enclosed by a spiralling open-air walkway. Standing at 63 floors above ground, the tower will be the tallest in Tokyo—providing an observation deck called Sky Hill at its very top. […]

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Matsubara Civic Library

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Dotted with reservoirs to secure water for agriculture, Matsubara City has a characteristic landscape that is also speckled with tombs built in ancient times in its residential areas. Although the tombs are huge man-made structures, they came to resemble natural landforms and have become a part of the physical landscape over the long passage of […]

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Phase Dance by Takeshi Hirobe

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The name Phase Dance comes partly from the architects’ sense that the design process was like a dance; and that the building’s crescent-shaped form brings to the mind the phases of the moon. COURTYARD-LIKE PLAN While visiting the site a number of times, the architects were drawn to a large orangebark stewartia tree and began […]

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AKN Nursery

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Forest House in Akiruno This is a facility that has two functions. One is a training center of Montessori education (hands-on learning and collaborative activities) for toddlers from 0 to 3 years of age, and the other is a playing hall for children of the nursery next to this facility.  Forests make up more than […]

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FS Kindergarten and Nursery

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This is a school for 76 children, which is built in the playground of a former facility. Under the characteristic big roof, the architects selected natural materials for the walls, floorings and ceilings. Blurring the boundaries In the dining area, children can have their meals in proximity of natural light and wind, thanks to the […]

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T3

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This house was designed for a couple (a French artist and his Japanese wife) who are interested in the aesthetic of Japanese gardens, as well as Japanese culture and architecture. Nestled quietly atop a hill in the historic Japanese city of Kamakura, it offers scenic views of Mount Fuji. In response to the clients’ requests, […]

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MRN Kindergarten and Nursery

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Situated amidst the rural fields on the foothills of Mount Kirishima in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki, Japan, this local pre-school often welcomes children who’s parents were once students here themselves. Taking inspiration from this, the design theme for this institution is connection. The existing building was expanded and renovated several times in the past 30 years, but […]

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Kamikatz Public House

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The project’s lead architect, Hiroshi Nakamura, says, “As the word ‘pub’ comes from ‘public house’, we decided to bring the principles of the community, the wisdom and ways of the people towards waste, to life through architecture. Our goal was to create a public house so that the community could feel proud of their actions.” Composed of a patchwork […]

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