SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka

‘maglia jiyugaoka’ by SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO in tokyo, japan all images courtesy SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO image © ryota atarashi

japanese architecture practice SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO (satoko shinohara) has shared with us images of ‘maglia jiyugaoka’, a two-storey apartment building in a densely subdivided residential area of tokyo, japan. using the translucent privacy offered by stainless mesh, the design defines small pockets of outdoor space between the house and the street, allowing for an effortless extension of the domestic activities within.

street elevation image © ryota atarashi

situated on a corner plot, the small residential building remains humble in scale and stature in proportion to the neighbouring structures in the neighbourhood. the delicate ‘fence’ circumscribes the entire plot, rounding around a corner while creating sharp angles in another. similar to curtains, the mesh boundary can be completely drawn back to directly connect the garden to the street. the living and dining spaces of all four units face outwards in different directions, securing open views of the immediate site through floor-to-ceiling glazing.

stainless mesh fence – shut image © daisuke kaneko

stainless mesh fence – open image © daisuke kaneko

entrance to unit image © ryota atarashi

(left) translucency of mesh (right) garden space images © ryota atarashi

interior view image © ryota atarashi

view of garden from within image © ryota atarashi

image © ryota atarashi

garden and living space image © daisuke kaneko

(left) stairs (right) room on higher level images © ryota atarashi

bedroom image © ryota atarashi

(left) rectangular windows (right) private terrace images © ryota atarashi

site map

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level +1

section a-a

section b-b

project info:

site area: 171.61 m2 building area: 117.87 m2 total floor area: 221.26 m2