A.L.X. / junichi sampei: dancing living house

The "Diagonal House" is a residential project designed by Daisuke Ibano and Ryosuke Fujii for a family with children, situated in a densely populated urban area of Japan. The design process began with addressing the site's unique characteristics, specifically the height restrictions imposed by local regulations. A portion of the lot fell within a Category 1 height control district, necessitating careful consideration of the building's form and orientation to comply with setback requirements and integrate into the existing townscape. The architects approached this challenge by conceptualizing the diagonal lines inherent in the setback regulations not as limitations, but as opportunities to define the building's overall structure and create a distinctive architectural expression. This approach led to the development of a design that actively incorporates these diagonal elements, moving beyond a simple adherence to legal constraints. The diagonal lines serve multiple functions: they shape the exterior facade, influence the internal layout, and contribute to the house's unique spatial experience. A key aspect of the design involves the strategic use of these diagonal lines to introduce an element of distortion and dynamism into the interior spaces. This creates a sense of depth and visual interest, diverging from conventional rectilinear room arrangements. The internal planning also utilizes split-level flooring, further enhancing the spatial complexity and encouraging a fluid movement between different areas of the home. This multi-level approach, combined with the diagonal forms, allows for varied perspectives and interactions within the house, optimizing the use of the 104 square meter area. Furthermore, the diagonal planes are instrumental in filtering light and views. By carefully angling and positioning windows and openings along these diagonal lines, the architects control the ingress of natural light, ensuring adequate illumination throughout the day while maintaining privacy from neighboring properties. This thoughtful integration of light and views enhances the living environment, creating a bright and airy atmosphere despite the urban density. The material palette for the house primarily features concrete, which contributes to the contemporary aesthetic and structural integrity of the design, complementing the angular forms. The project ultimately represents an innovative response to stringent urban planning regulations, transforming potential constraints into defining architectural features. The resulting "Diagonal House" not only meets the practical needs of its inhabitants but also offers a visually stimulating and functionally optimized living space that stands out within its urban context. The design demonstrates how a deep understanding and creative interpretation of architectural guidelines can lead to original and impactful residential architecture. #ResidentialArchitecture #HouseDesign #UrbanPlanning #DiagonalDesign #JapaneseArchitecture #SplitLevel #ConcreteConstruction #SpaceOptimization #ArchitecturalInnovation

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the spring performance season for ballet dancers, forcing them to adapt their home environments into makeshift studios to maintain their rigorous practice schedules. This transition presented unique challenges, particularly concerning suitable flooring and space for large movements. Despite these obstacles, renowned dancers found creative solutions to continue their training. Isabella Boylston, a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, transformed her Downtown Brooklyn kitchen into a dance space. The kitchen, being the largest room in her new construction condo, allowed her to use the countertop as a barre. She addressed the issue of slippery wood floors by obtaining a piece of marley flooring, a material that provides necessary traction for pointe shoes. Boylston also incorporated personal touches into her space, including a well-stocked bar cart and an art wall featuring works by friends and family. While the kitchen served for her daily classes, she sought outdoor spaces like Brooklyn Bridge Park for grande allegro, or big jumps, to avoid shin splints on her hard kitchen floor. Dores André, a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, approached her Twin Peaks apartment with a minimalist and utilitarian design, viewing it as a "canvas" dominated by white, wood, copper, and pink tones. Her open-plan living area, where she primarily dances, has a hard concrete floor, which she mitigated by placing a Harlequin marley floor over a carpet or yoga mat. André improvises with a chair or the back of a large canvas as a barre. She also has a small backyard where she practices jumps when the weather permits, occasionally having to move her numerous plants, which she affectionately names, to create space. Gonzalo Garcia, a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, and his partner Ezra Hurwitz, purchased a parlor apartment in a brownstone on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. A significant draw was the charming backyard garden, which they meticulously transformed into an outdoor lounge and Garcia's primary ballet studio. This outdoor space is equipped with a professional ballet barre and mirror, surrounded by various plants. Their decor, inspired by the French Riviera and Mediterranean styles, includes yellow chairs from Article and furniture from CB2. When the weather is unfavorable, Garcia utilizes a large inherited mirror in his bedroom for practice. He initially found his living room floors too slippery and uneven for ballet, emphasizing the need for a stable and visible practice environment. Joseph Gordon and Adrian Danchig-Waring, also principal dancers with the New York City Ballet, temporarily relocated to a midcentury ranch-style home on Shelter Island, owned by friends. The house's open layout, featuring three skylights and a vaulted ceiling, offered ample space for their training. They personalized the rental with their own "wabi-sabi, boho-chic" style, adding items like Noguchi lanterns and Pendleton blankets. They utilize the sunroom's windowsill or a dining chair as makeshift barres, recognizing the height challenges these improvisations present. The expansive wraparound deck serves as an alternative outdoor dancing space. Both dancers acknowledged the surreal nature of training at home and the challenge of maintaining motivation without a ballet master's direct guidance, relying on each other for encouragement and adapting to the limitations of their unconventional practice environments while embracing a more flexible approach to their artistry. #WorkFromHome #BalletDancers #HomeStudios #InteriorDesign #CreativeSpaces #HomeTours #DanceTraining #DIYHome #PandemicLife

Architectural firm Tan Yamanouchi & AWGL undertook the renovation of a residential condominium in Tokyo, transforming it into the 'Tokyo Clubhouse,' a semi-private and semi-public apartment. This renovation aimed to create a home without walls, reflecting modern urban living standards and the client's lifestyle. The project involved merging two existing units to form a single open-plan dwelling. The core design concept revolves around a sculptural stepped ceiling constructed from dusty pink wood wool cement boards. This intricate ceiling features varying heights and contours that effectively delineate public and private zones within the apartment without the need for physical walls. The textured ceiling creates a subtle transition between different areas, accommodating intimate spaces, zones for hosting friends, and a dedicated play area for the client's cats. The Tokyo Clubhouse challenges traditional Japanese 'n-LDK' classification systems for residential layouts, which often prioritize room count over functionality. By eliminating superfluous walls, the design emphasizes adaptability and flexibility, catering to the client's dynamic lifestyle as a professional who works both remotely and in an office, and frequently hosts guests. The apartment is designed to function as a 'second living room' for friends and visitors, promoting a sense of community and openness. Material choices further define the different functional areas. Public spaces are distinguished by herringbone brick tile flooring, offering a rustic warmth. In contrast, private zones feature old solid wood boards, contributing to a sense of coziness and intimacy. A curved wall, finished with textured roughcast plaster, encircles the kitchen, providing a tactile contrast to the sleek, repainted kitchen units. The guest entry, given equal prominence to the private entrance, showcases a rich material palette including brick tiled flooring, roughcast plaster, glass-enclosed shoe displays, and the distinctive wood wool cement board ceilings, creating an inviting and warm welcome. The duality of openness and intimacy within the Tokyo Clubhouse draws inspiration from the nearby Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This garden, a semi-private oasis in the heart of Tokyo, is a beloved spot for locals and holds cultural significance, appearing in various animated movies. This external influence underscores the design's intention to create a space that balances privacy with communal interaction, offering a unique approach to urban residential architecture. #TokyoClubhouse #TanYamanouchiAWGL #ApartmentRenovation #OpenPlanLiving #SteppedCeiling #InteriorDesignJapan #FlexibleLivingSpaces #ResidentialArchitecture #WoodWoolCement

NestSpace Design has completed the 'Revival House: Echo of the Body' in Taipei, Taiwan, a dwelling designed for a contemporary dancer. The project aims to cultivate a micro-community for living, dancing, and interaction. Inspired by the continuous motion of body flow, the architects integrated concepts of immersive theater and a subtle seat hierarchy to create an open-plan layout promoting calm and harmony. The design philosophy centers on making people and space interconnected, with the dancer's body serving as the primary measurement for scale within the residence. Each room is intended to gather energy from perception, creation, and performance. The design concept is structured around three phases of the dancer's mind: 'the state of consciousness,' 'the path of contemplation,' and 'sleep | dream,' which guided the development of a gradual floor plan to facilitate a multi-dancing experience within a residential setting. The front area of the 'Revival House' is designed to evoke a fluid state of mind, encouraging the activation of original senses, particularly in relation to nature. This is achieved through the extensive use of wood materials and natural textures, creating a warm and forest-like ambiance. A sloping ceiling enhances the overall mood, while a distinctive clay plaster wall design symbolizes the transformation of clouds at sunset, adding a meditative quality to the space. The open-plan layout of the front area is likened to an immersive theater, allowing anyone to become both character and audience. This configuration provides flexibility for various activities, including dancing, stretching, seating on extensive platforms, or simply relaxing. The space can function as a single stage or be divided into two distinct areas for different purposes. In contrast, the practice room, located at the rear of the public stage, incorporates mirrors and glass walls to create multi-experiential reflections and extensions, resulting in an obscure and ambiguous environment. An aisle along the practice room wall separates the public areas from more private spaces, serving as a transitional link to the dining area and bedroom. The 'Revival House' covers a gross built area of 109 square meters in Taipei, Taiwan. The architectural firm responsible for this project is NestSpace Design, with the design team comprising Jun-Cheng Yeh and Chun-Ting Yeh. The photography for the project was done by Hey!Cheese. This project was submitted through designboom's DIY submissions feature, which allows readers to share their work for publication. The design effectively combines functionality for a dancer with a harmonious living environment, demonstrating an innovative approach to residential architecture by integrating artistic movement and daily life into a cohesive spatial experience. #ResidentialArchitecture #TaiwanDesign #NestSpaceDesign #DanceStudioHome #OpenPlanLiving #NaturalMaterials #ImmersiveDesign #SpatialFluidity

The increasing amount of time spent at home, influenced by shifts like remote work and homeschooling, has amplified the importance of personal living spaces. Homes are no longer solely for dwelling but have evolved into multifaceted environments for work, education, and relaxation. This transformation necessitates the creation of serene and balanced areas where individuals can decompress and recharge after daily activities. In response to this need, the Japandi interior design style has gained prominence, offering a solution for cultivating clean, calm, and harmonious indoor environments. Japandi style represents a harmonious fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian design principles, both of which emphasize simplicity, functionality, and a connection to nature. This aesthetic prioritizes a "less is more" approach, focusing on essential elements that contribute to a peaceful atmosphere. A core philosophy embedded within Japandi design is the Zen concept, which promotes mindfulness and tranquility. This is reflected in the style's minimal, functional, warm, and calming characteristics, often incorporating touches of Wabi-Sabi, which embraces imperfection and transience. Key features of Japandi style include simple shapes and light color palettes that foster a sense of openness and airiness. Natural elements are paramount, with a strong emphasis on wood and plants to bring the outdoors in. To achieve the Japandi aesthetic, the design team at Pepper Sq recommends utilizing natural materials for structural components like walls, doors, screen grids, and frames. Specifically, light woods such as beech, ash, pine, and light oak are favored to maintain a bright and balanced color scheme. These woods contribute to a 'hygge' vibe, a Scandinavian term denoting coziness and contentment, while also providing warmth during colder periods. Further enhancing comfort and warmth, Japandi interiors incorporate natural fabrics like cotton and wool, which can be used for curtains, blankets, or decorative pillows. The style also champions the use of sustainable materials, with bamboo being a notable example. Bamboo furnishings are valued for their lightweight, durable, and compact qualities, allowing for the creation of elegant and unique shapes. Practical applications for integrating Japandi style into a home include the use of sculptured wooden lamps, which can serve as both lighting fixtures and room dividers, particularly in bedrooms. Jute and Sisal rug collections are ideal for completing the look, adding texture and warmth without overwhelming the space. For functional areas, such as home offices, the Fraser Desk, crafted from sustainable bamboo, offers an elegant and functional solution for confined spaces. When paired with a well-designed Copen Folding chair, these pieces collectively create a comfortable and harmonious working environment, demonstrating how Japandi principles can be applied to enhance various aspects of home living. #JapandiStyle #ZenLivingSpace #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #ScandinavianDesign #JapaneseAesthetics #NaturalMaterials #SustainableDesign #HomeSanctuary