junya ishigami designs house for a young couple in tokyo

delineating a thin line between landscape and architecture, the ‘house for a young couple’ in tokyo, designed by japanese studio junya ishigami+associates contains a small garden within its cuboid envelope. inverting the outside world onto the building’s interior, the double-height volume carefully manipulates regular, everyday experiences. a curving line of soil makes it mark on the floor of the living room, as if quietly invading the man-made structure. a miniature forest grows in the corner of the dwelling, developing an organic playground for its inhabitants, where they may actively transform their surroundings by growing various plants. two double-height windows line the edge of this garden sanctuary, forming a thin, transparent barrier between them and the suburban street life beyond.

all images © junya.ishigami+associates

the cuboid geometry of the exterior structure is accentuated by the linear rows of glazing, revealing glimpses of the unusual residential arrangement. the façade is treated as an exercise of abstract compositional work, its minimal ornamentation divided by contrasting open and closed panels. situated in its urban context, the building, which may at first glance be overlooked, provides a complex offering of life’s ordinary pleasures.

a miniature forest grows within the living room’s double height volume

a curving line of soil enables the inhabitants to garden in their living room

interior view of the house with plants

house with plants interior

plan ground floor

plan terrace