k. associates combines green wall + black steel box into the façade of house in tokyo

architectural design office k. associates has built a long and narrow house in a residential area on the outskirts of tokyo, whose street façade combines a green wall, a black steel box floating in the middle, and one long vertical window facing the city and park on the opposite side. enveloped by three partitioning concrete walls, the outer shell encloses an airy interior whose main concept is the natural light coming in from outside, through the gaps between the enclosing walls. with two-thirds of its site located approximately three meters above the street level, house on maple-tree hills comprises a floor facing the street, which is, in fact, underground, and one floor up is the ground and street-level. including the penthouse, the residence has a total of four floors.

all images by shigeo ogawa

k. associates has enclosed the house with partitioning walls of a height equivalent to one floor in its three surrounding elevations, excluding the street side. the living room on the first floor has two natural-light sources from the gap between the exterior and the outside walls, plus from the top of the small, inside garden in the approach. on the horizontal level, there is only one large and long opening in the façade, facing the park on the opposite side of the street. as a result, although the living room space is extending horizontally, the natural light only comes in vertically, creating a ‘white cave’-like space.

located on the second floor, the master bedroom comprises a three-dimensional space extending vertically, three levels up to the penthouse. ‘the concept here is a contrast between the horizontally expanding living room on the first floor, and the vertically extending, master bedroom,’ explains k. associates.

project info:

name: house on maple-tree hills

architect: k. associates

location: tokyo, japan