'i remember you' by norisada maeda atelier in setagaya, tokyo, japan
all images courtesy norisada maeda atelier
photographer: ryuji shiraishi


'i remember you' by norisada maeda atelier is a three-storey private residence in
setagaya, tokyo, japan. conceived in collaboration with columbia university-based
design firm proxy, the project was largely driven by the use of software algorithms
that simultaneously determined the form and space of the architecture.



(left) second floor
(right) view of the staircase from third floor


situated in a densely populated urban environment, the main focus that determined
the form of the overall volume was to equip the interior space with maximum natural daylight.
featuring a multitude of contours and inward carvings, the internal surfaces are pushed in and
out to create pockets that folds into the space. the result is a layout that is largely defined by
moments of light: these occur as simple slits that swell along a wall or entire glazed forms
that encase a spiral staircase.



spiral staircase


the origin of the project's name comes from the architects' desire to encapsulate the residents'
past memories in the architecture itself. the living spaces are generated through a processing
program that utilized different types of source materials such as pictures and voices. a light screen
on the first floor features a patterned  perforation that was developed from an old photograph
of a deceived brother.



third floor



view of the outdoor terrace from the second floor



view of spinal staircase



kitchen wall unit



views of ground floor






opening along the wall



enclosed parking space



(left) looking down from upper level
(right)view of interior space through 'light chimney'



view from third floor terrace



exterior curvatures



algorithm analysis that visualizes processed sunlight by mark collins and toru hasegawa


project info:

site area: 70.04 m2
total floor area: 94.98 m2
function: private residence
structural system: steel structure
storeys: three