atelier A5: FW.house

‘FW.house’ by atelier A5 in nukui, nerima-ku, tokyo, japan images courtesy of atelier A5 / © kenichi suzuki

‘FW.house’ by japanese studio atelier A5 is located in a typically dense residential area of tokyo, japan. strict provisions, including setback regulations and a slightly slopped 45 square meter plot of land dictated the overall form and structure of the single family home.

the compact volume accommodates a variety of required functions while utilizing the maximum amount of vertical capacity allowed for the site. while the house does not feature a great number of windows, its inner organization can be read from the outside through different materiality.

side elevation

bedrooms, workspace and the ladder up to the loft 

inside, three closed volumes are vertically shifted and placed throughout the house, each containing a specific function – the kitchen and dining room on the ground floor, the bathroom on the first floor and the bedrooms on the third floor. by hovering the boxes in between each storey to create thirty centimeters of transitional void, each level gains natural daylight while providing multiple sight lines throughout the house.

panels of galvanized steel cladding contrast these spaces, which is also translated onto the outside. each room is given its own identity through the use of color.

(left) looking into one of the bedrooms (right) workspace

looking from the living room to the entrance of the lavatory, dressing room and terrace

living room

living room

kitchen and dining area with view into garage

garage

exterior view of house at night

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

floor plan / level 2

floor plan / level 3

section

project info:

architectural team: sadahiro shimizu, masatoshi matsuzaki, yuko shimizu structural planning: hayata matou site area: 45.73sqm building area: 25.05sqm total floor area: 72.83sqm structure: wood structure