立てば端麗、座れば陰翳、
歩く姿は静画のよう。

This doma entry space functions as a transition from the main entrance to the inner entryway, offering flexibility for bicycle storage and direct guest reception from the kitchen.

Because the front room faces the alley, it was planned as a kitchen rather than a living or sleeping space. The floor is set one step lower and finished in tile, with translucent glass used to soften views from outside.
Natural light enters through waist-high windows, while the refrigerator and washing machine are concealed behind traditional mairado sliding doors, creating a clean, semi-open kitchen.

On the first floor, the “Naka-no-ma” is positioned as an inner entrance hall. Set back from the exterior, it functions as a flexible connecting space linking the kitchen and a Western-style room, allowing for a variety of uses.
On the second floor, the “Naka-no-ma” is planned as a stair hall with an open void, serving as an anteroom to both a Western-style room and a tatami room. By introducing this intermediary space, the independence of each room is enhanced while maintaining a thoughtful level of privacy.

Interior spaces are generally understood as “boxes,” defined by the elements of floor, walls, and ceiling. In this Western-style room, however, the west-facing wall is detached from the ceiling plane and extended further inward, deliberately softening the visual boundaries of the space.
By releasing the room from the sense of enclosure and pressure often associated with closed interiors, the design aims to ease everyday stress and create a space where one can relax comfortably.

The most important space in this kyomachiya is a small garden of approximately 1.6 square meters. Visible from nearly all areas of the first floor, it brings light and air into the home while drawing nature indoors through a carefully positioned picture window. The picture window also functions like a frame, appropriately screening views from the neighboring apartment building while maintaining a gentle connection to the garden. By keeping distance from the outside world and selectively capturing only nature, the design creates a serene and richly textured living environment.

This compact bathroom is composed of a bathing area and a washbasin/changing space, gently divided by glass.
A hinoki wood–paneled ceiling and stone-finished floor create a pleasant material contrast, while a picture window facing the garden adds a sense of openness. Surrounded by natural elements, the space offers a calm and relaxing environment.

In traditional kyomachiya, the naka-no-ma (inner room) is typically a dimly lit space. Here, natural light drawn in through a skylight is diffused by the open-riser staircase, allowing light to spread gradually like a soft gradient and gently illuminate the naka-no-ma on the first floor.

The Western-style room on the second floor is intended for use as a bedroom. Indirect lighting is installed along the sloped ceiling and near the head of the bed, allowing the brightness to be adjusted while lying down. This enables soft lighting scenes tailored to bedtime or moments of relaxation. A walk-in closet is also provided, offering ample storage space.

The tatami room on the second floor is directly accessible from the entrance, allowing movement without passing through other living spaces. This makes it well suited for use as a guest room or an additional bedroom. The adjacent wooden-floored area can be flexibly used as a workspace, children’s room, or extra storage, adapting easily to different lifestyles. In addition, shoji windows installed along the stair side allow air to flow naturally toward the skylight, ensuring gentle and effective ventilation.

By opening the electrically operated skylight above the open stairwell and the window beneath the picture window in the first-floor Western-style room, a vertical airflow is created that connects the upper and lower floors. This gentle circulation helps maintain a calm indoor environment, allowing comfortable natural ventilation to flow throughout the home.