tyrant co builds residential work environment in nagasawa dental clinic

the architecture appears as a set of building blocks piled up to the brink of collapsing, but they do not fall down, even though it seems like they could at any moment.

TYRANT edited by philip stevens November 28, 2014 3 min

tyrant co builds residential work environment in nagasawa dental clinic
photo © taishi hirokawa
all images courtesy of tyrant co

in hachiioji city of toyko, japan, tyrant co‘s ‘nagasawa dental clinic’ appears as an illusion of building blocks that have been piled up to the brink of collapsing. the programs consist of a doctor’s office and a house, which are formed in a suburban residential area. the site has also provided space for the associated amenities such as a garage for two cars, and a parking lot for seven patients, which has resulted in a comfortable working and living environment.

tyrant co nagasawa dental clinic tokyo japan
daytime view
photo © taishi hirokawa

the vehicle spaces have been allocated close to the road, making them easiest to use for all occupants. in turn, the volumes have been pushed towards the back of the plot. if they had been arranged towards the front, the architects believe that there would be problems with the flow of automobiles to each of their corresponding zones. therefore, the plan secures as much space as possible between the garage and the dental clinic, making room for the house. ‘by doing so, we achieved our two goals: making the parking space easy to use and emphasizing the presence of the structures,’ says the studio.

tyrant co nagasawa dental clinic tokyo japan
consultation room
photo © taishi hirokawa

the rectangular workspace is divided into several strips for features such as waiting lounges, consultation rooms, hallways, and other miscellaneous facilities. meanwhile, the dining room with a kitchen, a bathroom, and a lavatory occupy the northern end of the narrow, flat residence. its center is demarcated by a staircase that connects to a suite and other rooms on the southern end.

tyrant co nagasawa dental clinic tokyo japan
dining room
photo © taishi hirokawa

indirect lighting is used for both the inside and outside of the buildings. upward-facing, linear LED fixtures have been installed on the external wall of the clinic. in addition, cornice light systems have been employed for the visitor area and the living room of the house. thus, all of the surfaces are illuminated by soft rays.

tyrant co nagasawa dental clinic tokyo japan
waiting area
photo © taishi hirokawa

as the construction presents a framework full of tension, it still retains an atmosphere of traditional japanese architecture, which is typically made up of beams and pillars. the piloti beneath the dwelling is used not only to allow people and cars to pass through it, but also for the passive activites with tables and chairs arranged in them for when the weather is nice.

‘these recently constructed buildings are two stories but are farthest from the standard concept of two-story buildings. the reason for this is that the second floor barely stays on the first floor. this structure may be a wasteful one if viewed from the perspective of economic efficiency, a requirement that has essentially to be met when designing a building.’ – tyrant co

tyrant co nagasawa dental clinic tokyo japan
windows of different sizes on the façade
photo © taishi hirokawa

tyrant co nagasawa dental clinic tokyo japan
staircase
photo © taishi hirokawa

tyrant co nagasawa dental clinic tokyo japan
first floor plan

tyrant co nagasawa dental clinic tokyo japan
second floor plan

project info:

location: hachioji-city, tokyo, japan
site area: 559.6 sqm
built area: 213.1 sqm
total floor area: 213.15 sqm
architecture design: kunihiko matsuba (tyrant co., ltd.)
structure design: tatsumi terado (tatsumi terado structural studio)
lighting design: shoji hiroyasu (lightdesign inc.)
photography: taishi hirokawa

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.