apollo architects and associates cantilevers tepe in tokyo

apollo architects and associates cantilevers ‘tepe’ in tokyo
image © masao nishikawa
all images courtesy of apollo architects and associates

set in tokyo’s dense urban fabric, apollo architects and associates‘ ‘tepe’ house, named after the turkish word for hill, frames views of the skyline and the borrowed landscape of the neighbors garden. projecting forward with a semi-enclosed balcony, the cantilevered first floor living space has privacy from the street. at the ground level one accesses the garage and a long narrow staircase that leads to the front door. an open plan and windows to the upper courtyard, which separates the bedrooms above, connect the house visually. the unified space is awash with light from the skylight over the hill-top entrance. a few stairs theatrically lead from the living room down to the kitchen and dining area, while a long floating staircase ascend to the bedrooms. below the steel-framed protrusion of the house, the in-ground structure becomes a storage area. such ingenuities are possible throughout the house because of the play of levels inherent in the design.

the central volume of ‘tepe’ is cantilevered from the hillside over the garage
image © masao nishikawa

the enclosed balcony give residents privacy from the street
image © masao nishikawa

(left): the exterior stair leads to the upper entrance.
(right): the house is named ‘tepe’, turkish for hill

image © masao nishikawa

glass expanses open the facade to views of the neighbor’s ‘borrowed’ garden
image © masao nishikawa

the ground floor living spaces are organized within an open plan
image © masao nishikawa

(left): the stair is an important feature within the home
(right): light pours into the entryway from a skylight above
image © masao nishikawa

a small terrace connects and divides the bedrooms upstairs
image © masao nishikawa

image © masao nishikawa

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project info:

location : higashikurume city, tokyo, japan
date of completion : december 2008
principal use : private house
structure : steel framing
site area: 215.06m2
building area: 81.78m2
total floor area : 109.89m2 (70.72m2/1f, 39.17m2/2f)
structural engineer :  kenta masaki
mechanical engineer :  zenei shimada