‘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.

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka 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.

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka stainless mesh fence – shut image © daisuke kaneko

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka stainless mesh fence – open image © daisuke kaneko

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka entrance to unit image © ryota atarashi

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka (left) translucency of mesh (right) garden space images © ryota atarashi

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka interior view image © ryota atarashi

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka view of garden from within image © ryota atarashi

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka image © ryota atarashi

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka garden and living space image © daisuke kaneko

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka (left) stairs (right) room on higher level images © ryota atarashi

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka bedroom image © ryota atarashi

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka (left) rectangular windows (right) private terrace images © ryota atarashi

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka site map

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka floor plan / level 0

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka floor plan / level +1

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka section a-a

SPATIAL DESIGN STUDIO: maglia jiyugaoka section b-b

project info:

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