House in Chitos

e

Tokyo / Japa

n

174

Creative solutions abound in this project, situated in the downtown

Sumida ward of Tokyo. In a city famous for its high-density housing,

this area consists mainly of buildings between three and five storeys

tall, and daylight and ventilation issues affect the ground floor areas of

many properties. Dealing with these was the challenge set in converting

the lower floors of his home into office space for the owner's business.

The solution was to make a virtue of the restrictions of the plot, creatin

g

a multi-functional kitchen and of

fice where you are ­

cocooned in a com

-

forting, dark space. The near-black wood

floor and kitchen units create

a dazzling contrast with the small windows that punctuate the room.

Sleek, clean-lined elements, down to the GROHE Minta kitchen faucet

s

and the ingenious open stairs, pared with vivid green hand rails, kee

p

the space feeling open. And in a place where outdoor space is at a

premium, the garden has been moved up onto the roof.

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