Residence S

MAAD Inc.

Short description

This project is to create a peaceful living environment in harmony with nature in a quiet low-rise residential complex surrounded by greenery and cobblestone pavement in the Moto-azabu district of Minato-ku, Tokyo, in the heart of the city with embassies around.
The client built a second house in Niseko, Hokkaido in 2020 after traveling around the world with her two children. Seeking a residence in central Tokyo that fosters a sense of unity with nature, they discovered a low-rise residential complex in Motoazabu.

The residence is a two-floor maisonette featuring a bright entrance hall illuminated by light pouring in from a skylight window approximately 6 meters above. The total floor area is 238.25 ㎡, with 180.55 ㎡ on the lower floor (3rd floor) and 57.8 ㎡ on the upper floor (4th floor).
We have created a space within a 7 LDK layout that, despite its size, feels like a large single-room area connected by abundant light and air, allowing for a seamless flow while respecting privacy and enabling a sense of family presence.

We aimed to create an environment where the flooring, walls, and ceilings are unified throughout, resembling a softly draped fabric covering the entire space.
By using solid chestnut wood for the floors and plastering the walls and ceiling with natural water-hardened lime, the expression of the materials changes with the light and age, giving the feeling of being in nature. We wanted to create a diverse and free place, like when you go to a field. In terms of function, the plaster material absorbs dangerous chemical substances in the air, such as VOC gasses, and converts them into harmless substances, and was used together with solid flooring to improve the air quality of the living environment.

In addition, the shape and height of the ceilings were varied to create a rhythm in the connected space. We designed the living and dining rooms with curved surfaces, the kitchen and private rooms with compact ceilings, and the master bedroom with sloping ceilings.
The details were planned to be as simple as possible, with reveal baseboard at the floor and wall separations and bottom joints at the ceiling and walls, and gaps where different architectural elements collide with each other to reduce the sense of material compression.
The space was designed with life at its core, harmonizing the residents, environment, materials, and their respective life cycles, allowing them to nurture each other slowly over time.