niizeki studio: ATM

‘ATM’ by niizeki studio in japan image © niizeki studio

‘ATM’ by tokyo-based architecture practice niizeki studio (kenichiro niizeki) is a multi-level residence located on top of a mountain overlooking the pacific ocean. largely driven by the natural form of the landscape, the design seeks to create a symbiotic space between nature and humans by partially inserting the structure into the land.

exterior view image © niizeki studio

cantilevering over the mountainside, the exterior is read as a black geometric volume devoid of any apertures or openings. the grassy mound on which the house rests gives in to a concrete base that juts out of the landscape, housing the basement level and an outdoor terrace to the north. featuring a large floor-to-ceiling window in the direction of the cantilever, the panoramic views of the landscape becomes the focus and backdrop of the design, funnelling the surrounding nature into the makeup of the interior.

(left) view of cantilever from below (right) outdoor terrace and concrete base images © niizeki studio

offering moments of transparency where the sloping land is on view, the presence of the land is felt within the architecture. the ground floor arranges the functional programs at its centre to push the circulation space out to the perimeter, incorporating elements of the outdoors into the inhabitant’s daily operations.

‘japanese-style’ room overlooking the landscape image © niizeki studio