'murakoshi house' in tokyo by S design farm

‘Murakoshi House’ by S Design farm is a peculiar sight in tokyo

‘Murakoshi House’ by S Design Farm is a peculiar, three-story residence built on a pentagon-shaped site in a busy neighborhood of Tokyo. Displaying windowless facades, the monolithic volume is wrapped in metal panels supported by a concrete foundation, with no openings visible on its facades.

The unconventional design responds to several conditions. The first one is privacy; as the house sits in a crowded district, surrounded by people, cars, and buildings, the owners preferred limiting the windows mostly to the outer walls and setting up a large opening in the exterior atrium that leads to the courtyard on the first floor.

Light and wind come next in line; to counteract the ‘heaviness’ of the windowless facades, the architects have carved a planar and cross-sectional ‘hole’ on the ground floor level to deliver plenty of light and ventilation inwards while securing a flow of people and cars coming in and out of the house. Beyond serving as a garage/house entrance, this street opening can eventually serve as a public gathering point.

all images © Koichi Torimura

working around restrictions

Third, the architects at S Design Farm had to adapt their design to local regulations and site restrictions. For example, to maximize the building coverage ratio, they opted for a cross-sectional configuration on the second and third floors with a pentagonal plan matching the shape of the site — all while considering height restrictions, fire prevention regulations, and structural planning. Furthermore, given the risks of floods in the city, a high foundation was set up on the first floor to minimize water damage should a severe storm occur.

Finally, considering running costs and environmental impact, the ‘Murakoshi House’ is fitted with high-performing insulation, thus reducing the need for heating to an impressive level.

the entrance space enables a flow of light, air, people, and cars

trapezoidal living and dining room, inducing a visual sense of spaciousness and depth

a skylight in the exterior atrium helps balance between privacy and need for ventilation unlike the cold-colored exterior, the interior spaces are punctuated by warm wooden accents