‘coil’ by akihisa hirata architecture office, japan image © koichi torimura all images courtesy of akihisa hirata architecture office

tucked within in a dense residential district of tokyo, the ‘coil’ residence by japanese practice akihisa hirata architecture office recedes into the context with a neutral, white exterior. following a continuous experiential sequence as some may consider life to be, the inhabitant’s experience a blurring of city and home, with a continuous spatial experience unveiled upon pulling into the garage. rooms are integrated into a singular corridor which gradually steps and rises throughout the interior.

three structural columns are evenly spaced within the footprint and span from the ground floor to the roof. the stairway then winds from the entry to the second floor. inhabitants move softly and organically between the interconnected spaces. derived from the complex order of a coil, the logical arrangement of the interior demonstrates the inherent order found even amongst living things.

the architect’s tangling exhibition is still on show through november 17th at the architectural association in london.

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil street entry elevation images © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil rear of residence blends into its context image © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil rear of residence image © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil (left) ground level entry (right) stairway spirals towards a library lining the residence’s exterior wall images © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil stairs leading past the library to the reading area images © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil library images © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil stairs lead from the reading area to the childrens play area image © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil aerial view of library from stairway images © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil kitchen + dining area images © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil illuminated at night image © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil at dusk image © koichi torimura

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil main structure

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil staggered floor plates

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil living spaces amidst the staggered levels

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil axnometric

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil site plan

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil floor plan / level 0

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil floor plan / level 1

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil floor plan / level 2

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil roof plan

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil section

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil section

akihisa hirata architecture office: coil elevation