be fun design + EANA: outdoors indoors

‘outdoors indoors’ by be-fun design + EANA in shinagawa, tokyo, japan all images courtesy be-fun design image © hiroyuki hirai

japanese architecture practice be-fun design (tsuyoshi shindo) has collaborated with kohei iwasaki and tota abe of EANA to design ‘outdoors indoors’, a small two-storey dwelling for a couple in shinagawa-ku, tokyo, japan. aiming to create a space that honestly reflected the clients’ activity-driven lifestyles, the design features a vertically-open communal area that is topped off by a rock-climbing cove.

within context image © hiroyuki hirai

situated on a residential plot measuring approximately 36 m2, the exterior form lends no views of the interior from the street level. the free-standing volume maintains the height and scale of the surrounding structures while contrasting the area’s palette with its white modern finish. the roof features a slightly smaller form that steps in from the perimeter to create strips of sky lights for the level below.

street elevation image © hiroyuki hirai

starting with a partially-sunken in ‘warehouse’ level, the layout revolves around a central bathroom which sits elevated on a storage unit. bands of void space above the staircase ensure natural sunlight to the lower levels of the house. arranged as one open space, the kitchen, living, and dining room are located on the second floor which opens up to a generous stretch of glazing and terrace. the rock climbing wall leads up to a subtly tapering form which hovers over the communal area. playful and contrasting in its presence, the hollowed volume connects to a small rooftop terrace which can be accessed by a climbing ladder.

from terrace image © hiroyuki hirai