APOLLO / Satoshi Kurosaki

A two-family house situated in a residential Tokyo neighborhood. While the living areas are completely separate, the construction features a rhythmically and holistically integrated façade that suits the characteristics of each household.

By providing the parental household (consisting of two parents and a daughter) with a first-floor living-dining kitchen and placing cedar-textured bare concrete walls on the road side, this residence functions as a courtyard house that connects to the forecourt on the entrance side while ensuring privacy. Also, the private floors on the second and third stories incorporate separate private rooms that give each adult resident the freedom to live independently.

Meanwhile, the child household features a central courtyard that creates a separation between the front and inner spaces, linked by a bridge on the second floor. On the first floor, the bathroom and the bedrooms face each other across the courtyard, enhancing privacy. In addition, because the second floor is a high-ceilinged atrium, natural light from high windows and skylights fills the room to create a roomy spaciousness. Because the bridge on the second floor is outside, the living room and dining kitchen are functionally separated into a “main building” and “annex,” facilitating life together while ensuring privacy. It is almost like an urban resort that evokes the atmosphere of a private villa.

At night, the minimal space illuminated by indirect lighting is joined by a warm impression, making you forget that this is a residential area.