niizeki studio: WEP

'WEP' by niizeki studio in tokyo, japan
all images courtesy niizeki studio
image © masao nishikawa


japanese architecture practice niizeki studio (kenichiro niizeki) has shared with us images of
'WEP (whole earth project)', a two-storey residence and office in a dense area of tokyo, japan.
a composition of three monolithic volumes,the design introvertly opens up to an elevated outdoor terrace.



street elevation
image © masao nishikawa


sitting on a corner plot in an area that straddles the line between residential neighbourhoods
and small business blocks, the unassuming exterior is devoid of windows or apertures,
resulting in an ambiguous presence. more than 7000 blocks of concrete were utilized to create
a highly textured finish to the elevations while providing a solid aesthetic to the house.
a slim stairway inserted in the chasm between two volumes provides access to the private
terrace area.



(left) staircase up to terrace
(right) texture of concrete blocks
images © masao nishikawa


the choice to construct with concrete blocks was largely driven by the desire to reduce material
waste during construction as well as its compressive strength - about three to four times stronger
than usual reinforced concrete. scaffolding is also unneeded due to the ease of stacking.



terrace space
image © masaya yoshimura


oriented to face one another, the three volumes feature a large opening that spills on to
the elevated outdoor terrace. the layout encourages a circulation pattern that incorporates
the interior with the exterior. on the ground floor, a stretch of sliding glass doors close off
the opening between forms while securing an abundant level of natural light.



openings with views of interior
image © masao nishikawa



image © masaya yoshimura



view of japanese-style room from terrace
image © masao nishikawa



ground floor
image © masao nishikawa



image © masaya yoshimura



skylight
image © masaya yoshimura



floor plan / level 0



floor plan / level +1