aoyagi design builds tower-shaped 'house in zenpukuji' on the outskirts of tokyo

located in a residential district on the outskirts of tokyo, ‘house in zenpukuji’ by aoyagi design is a tower-shaped residence for a couple, who are also the architects of the project, and their children. severe restrictions, such as setback-line regulation and having less than 25 square meters of allowable building area, led to the tower-shaped design, which consists of two underground and two above-ground floors. a circulating staircase and a small void positioned on the corner of each floor allows light, air, and the presence of the residents to travel throughout the house, resulting in a in a gentle ‘flow’.all images © takumi ota

‘the flow has no clear beginning because, in our design method, we decided not to give the house a robust framework,’ explain hajime aoyagi and ayaka aoyagi of aoyagi design. ‘instead, we treated the different parameters—the arrangement of functions, relationship with the surrounding environment, and discrepancies caused by the long designing process—as elements that coexist inside the flow, which we assumed is like ‘basso continuo,’ in other words, we did not have a clear overall perspective.’

the house is built on a small lot of about 50 square meters on the outskirts of tokyo, while the view is blocked on three sides. however, as the ground level is two meters higher than the road facing the eastern side, the building benefits from a unique floating feel and open views toward the schoolyard on the opposite side of the road. the tower-shaped home consists of two underground and two above-ground floors, while the entrance is located on the middle layer. upon entering the crack-like entrance, residents are suddenly thrust into the ‘flow’ and suspended in mid-air.

the architects’ design process caused various disparities, creating inconsistencies between the openings and floor levels, and a relative scale difference imbalance between the rooms and residential equipment, which stay barely suspended in the flow. ‘this stare of suspension also gives our family redundancy to embrace not only the past and present but also the future with equal neutrality,’ add the founders of aoyagi design.