The Most Tropical House in Tokyo

It was in this virgin forest, in Tokyo’s Setagaya district that follows the course of the Yazawa-gawa River, that the Franco-Japanese firm Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects decided to design an unusual house that is in keeping with its environment, Todoroki House.

At first glance, the house is striking due to its structure: it’s made from two blocks, one semi-octagonal and the other L-shaped. A mezzanine level, which also acts as the main entrance to the house (due to the drop below), separates these blocks. This feat of design is the fruit of months of research and documentation, and makes the most of a complex microclimate: the air near the ground is humid but the winds are very dry in winter. The façade is clad in red cedar, a strong, weatherproof wood that keeps the wind out, while the stilts on the garden level alleviate the humidity.

An encounter with nature

The house certainly stands out among the rather more classic homes that can be found in this residential area, but blends gracefully into the miniature jungle that surrounds it. While the large windows in the kitchen-living-dining room open onto the trees, the latter brush against the windows on the two upper levels, providing some privacy from the rest of the neighbourhood.

The house captures every ray of sunlight thanks to its woody tones, white walls, and light parquet flooring. There is also a tree-lined terrace to heighten the sensation of enjoying a privileged encounter with nature, right in the heart of the most populated metropolitan area in the world.

Todoroki House (2018), a project by Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects, can be viewed on their website.