not your traditional laundromat: amp architects’ ‘lavano’ becomes japanese community hub

japanese architects yo morishita /amp has designed ‘lavano,’ a new-concept laundromat that combines the arduous weekly task with a café environment. located in the suburbs of hamamatsu city in japan, the architect’s client requested an improved program to provide its customers with a breadth of activities, straying away from the ordinary launder-and-wait mindset of traditional laundromats.

yo morishita / amp’s ‘lavano’ fosters community engagement while waiting for the laundry cycle to end 
all images by kenta hasegawa

architects yo morishita / amp describe the traditional laundromat as an ‘inorganic space in japan.’ this design seeks to create a friendly space with the comforts of a domestic setting and the utility function of a laundromat. large windows allow the light to stream in and keep the interior open with air moving freely throughout. the architects explain, ‘in the cafe space, we deal with a wide range of items and activities, including areas to purchase general goods related to laundry, consignment sales of vegetables and breads of neighborhood farmers.’ these activities integrate the community into the space — allowing ‘lavano’ to function as a local gathering zone. 

built in benches and cart storage line the interior wall to provide additional seating

‘lavano’ combines a cafe, play space, store, farmers market, and laundromat into one space

the open windows and open layout allow light and fresh air to travel through the space

primarily a laundromat, activities makes useless wait times a thing of the past

the architect hoped to create a friendly space at a domestic scale

the space brings people in to complete a utilitarian task but also contains space that fosters conversation