onishimaki + hyakudayuki architects: double helix house tokyo

japanese studio onishimaki + kyakudayuki architects (maki onishi and yuki hyakuda) have designed ‘double helix house’,
a multi-level townhouse in the residential area of tokyo. surrounded by other dwellings, the plot was limited in dimension,
a variable which led to building upward. with stairs surrounding the exterior and the interior, the house becomes a double helix,
ascending as they wind around the perimeter. the core is comprised of an abstracted white cube housing the private spaces,
while rooms around the exterior are common areas. 

 

to accentuate the layout, a dark wood panel wraps around the light façade. the simple forms and contrast between the materials
continue on the interior, where the concrete construction is left exposed.