This is an interior renovation project of a dwelling unit in a 40-year-old apartment building in Tokyo. The unit with around 70 square meters is renovated as a residence for a couple and a child, plus an office space for the husband.

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The unit is a corner room on the top floor of the five-story building with windows on three sides. After removing all the original interior work into the skeleton form, we put the office and sanitary on the north side of the RC bearing wall, and the living space on the south side of it.

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The living space has a bedroom in its center, and it’s surrounded by a kitchen, living/dining room, closet, storage, and desk space. This layout allows the residents to move around and creates a sense of distance between the residents. At the same time, the layout without dead ends is convenient for distributing the light and wind coming through the windows on three sides into the entire unit. There is a loft above the bedroom, and it is used as a playground for the kid and storage.

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In materialization of the planning above, we’ve implemented boundary surfaces between spaces that can be actively adjusted by the residents. The aim is to create a comfortable coexistence of different activities, moods, also various light, heat, and sound environments, which vary according to the individual's preferences. We’ve focused on the development of these adjustable boundary surfaces, or “fittings.”

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1. Diagonal Muso-mado fittings

Referring to the Japanese traditional double-lattice fittings called Muso-mado, we have designed one with diagonal lattices instead of the conventional vertical ones. The slanted lattice enables sight control over both horizontal and vertical movement of the residents. Also, the opening rate of the lattice can be adjusted delicately to create a variety of lighting and ventilation environments. As a result, the fittings create an environment that fits various situations in daily life, such as ‘blocking the line of sight but letting the wind in,’ ‘sleeping while feeling the presence of parents,’ or ‘closing the fittings completely and concentrating on reading.’

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2. Skeleton flush door

By replacing its surface material with Japanese traditional Shoji paper, we’ve designed a flush door*1 that allows light to pass through itself. The core material is paper honeycomb, which is used in general flush doors. It is lighter than a normal flush door and sturdier than a traditional shoji door, also its honeycomb structure creates unique shadows. The thickness of the honeycomb controls the line of sight into the dressing room while at the same time directing the outside light taken in through the dressing room window to the office side.

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By these new fittings which allow light and wind to pass through softly and control the line of sight and presence of residents delicately, we’ve tried to realize an environment expanding and contracting beyond the planning layout, and the rich gradation of life that results from it.

 

*1 A fixture with flat surfaces which is made by bonding thin surface materials such as plywood on both sides of a frame or core material. Since it is lightweight and inexpensive, it makes up the majority of modern wooden fittings.

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