Studio and Office Building in Sendagaya, Japan

This five-storey house is a piece of urban infill that closes a gap in the street block. The location of the stairs and ancillary spaces in a strip on one side of the building and the minimization of fixed structural elements resulted in a high degree of flexibility for the main living areas. Sliding, demountable screens allow the house to be adapted to varying needs. The obligatory parking space is in the form of a drive-through carport. The structure consists of precast concrete elements assembled on a base slab. Internally, the design is limited to a few materials, colours and details: white sandblasted concrete, light-coloured wood, and glass blocks. The stairs are in sheet steel, with expanded metal mesh balustrades and screens.