Tokyo Houzz Tour: Architects' Home Captures Views of Nature
A comfortable office, a gathering place, and a coy, private space all co-exist in this house designed by its Japanese architect-owners
A flexible house designed for work, leisure, and living without being tied to the conventional rules – that’s what architect Sai Horiuchi and his wife and fellow architect Yuki, owners of Studio CY (pronounced “sa’i) aimed for when they built their Tokyo home.
From the Tamagawa river bank, Mt. Fuji is visible on a clear day. The endless blue sky makes you want to stop and take a deep breath. In this area, the riverbanks are covered in deep green, like a forest, and through the thick trees, you can see the glittering surface of the river. It is hard to believe you are in Tokyo. “I love nature so much and my true dream is to retire and go live in the countryside,” says Sai Horiuchi. He and Yuki had been searching for a place to build their home for a long time, almost choosing Kamakura when they found this rare plot of land right by the Tamagawa River, in the Tokyo metro area.
From the Tamagawa river bank, Mt. Fuji is visible on a clear day. The endless blue sky makes you want to stop and take a deep breath. In this area, the riverbanks are covered in deep green, like a forest, and through the thick trees, you can see the glittering surface of the river. It is hard to believe you are in Tokyo. “I love nature so much and my true dream is to retire and go live in the countryside,” says Sai Horiuchi. He and Yuki had been searching for a place to build their home for a long time, almost choosing Kamakura when they found this rare plot of land right by the Tamagawa River, in the Tokyo metro area.
Entering the steel-framed glass door, there is an area that Yuki describes as “a space that can be used as a doma (a traditional half-outdoor kitchen with packed earth floor) or a café.” Here, she has meetings with her clients and contractors, or eats meals alfresco during the warm seasons. “In the near future, I wish to open a café here and create a place where people can gather.”
The mortar floor allows people to come in without taking off their shoes. The interior wall partially uses the same material as the outside wall, creating a subtle cohesiveness between the outside and the inside, and welcoming people in. Sai’s collection of records and his instruments adorn the room.
The mortar floor allows people to come in without taking off their shoes. The interior wall partially uses the same material as the outside wall, creating a subtle cohesiveness between the outside and the inside, and welcoming people in. Sai’s collection of records and his instruments adorn the room.
The window frames on the opposite wall are painted in the same navy blue as the other side of the room. Ayano Kumagai’s powerful art, which Yuki says she fell in love with at first sight, anchors the space. The English vintage dining table is set with chairs of different materials and designs. When the patio door is open, this room becomes a big indoor-outdoor space. The kitchen is located at the back, on the right hand side, and it is slightly elevated, providing a space to take off shoes.
Behind the doma and alfresco café space, the green of the herbs planted in the garden to the green on the riverbank. The garden has ash trees, oldham blueberry trees, westringia trees, etc., a mixture of deciduous trees and evergreens, and looks different according to the seasons. Homeowners enjoy the luxury of seeing lush green on both sides of the space. The terrace floor is tiled, while towards the front are granite steps. Exterior walls are clad in red cedar panels finished with plaster.
The open-concept kitchen with island is complemented by well-selected furniture. The front part of the island and the wall cabinets are by Living, which specializes in furniture, while the counter around the stove is by Madre, a bespoke kitchen design company. The wooden cabinet doors are made of walnut, while the backs of the cabinet doors are painted grey. Yuki selected stainless steel for the countertop. A part of it is finished in mill scale steel as she enjoys mixing different materials. The solid wood countertop of the island is an antique piece formerly used as a beam in a house in the United States. Taking its future use as a café into account, the kitchen is equipped with a second sink, an ice machine, etc.
“I love watching the outside scenery while I’m cooking” says Sai. The siphons on the counter are for professional barista use for when the café is open. The pendant lamps Yuki found in The Conran Shop are her favorite, with the insides painted in gold. They purposely left the mill scale steel stairs without rustproofing, and maintained the construction markings for a rough and tough look.
“I wanted lots of windows so that I can feel the river and nature from anywhere in the house. I intentionally created many slits so that I can see them throughout the house,” says Yuki. Looking towards the kitchen from the river, you can see that not only the many windows, but also the “floating rooms”, and the glass slits in the walls, bring light into the house and create a sense of openness.
The square window of the traditional Japanese room on the first floor faces the north and frames the maple tree in the backyard like a piece of art. The traditional plaster wall has a wainscoting with paper. The narrow floor along the wall is made of camellia wood. Antique paper sliding doors from Kyoto are used in the windows. The karakami papers used for the sliding doors are from Kamisoe in Kyoto. The handmade paper is designed with motifs of traditional woodblock printing patterns, designed by artist Mai Miyake, and a “key” design implying “acquaintance to wisdom and god”. Yuki selected a glossy grey hue for the paper. “I want to host tea ceremonies in this room, using the kitchen as the washing area, and the café space as the waiting room.”
The southern half of the second floor is the living and work space. “Most of the time when I’m at home, I’m working,” says Yuki. So her desk is placed where she can enjoy the beautiful view. Since it’s her studio, she keeps the interior simple and office-like, with the structural frames and air conditioners uncovered. The south side is covered with windows, most of which – excluding those leading to the terrace – are half-height, for privacy. Bookshelves made of recycled wood are placed on both ends of the room. The walls are painted in warm grey and the floor is made of rough, solid oak.
The ‘floating’ wood-sided box on the right is supported by the steel frame structure. Sai uses this room to store his instruments. The slit made by the room allows Yuki to see Sai even when she is working on the second floor. The kitchenette beside the door to the living room is for preparing tea and meals on the second floor.
Dining table: The Conran Shop; Naviglio sofa by Seven Salotti: Arflex
Dining table: The Conran Shop; Naviglio sofa by Seven Salotti: Arflex
The bathroom is located on the north side of the house, on the other side of the patio. The big window provides enough light and ventilation and makes the room look spacious. “I like bright and spacious bathrooms,” says Yuki. The wall behind the toilet is towada stone, and the floor is solid walnut – soft texture for the bare foot. She chose this material because “we spend most of the time inside the house barefoot.” The countertop for the sink is marble, the cabinet doors are of straight grained oak, stained white. The two shallow drawers are storage space for cosmetics, as this space is used as a vanity. The designer’s delicate touch is visible in the entire room.
The wall and floor around the bathtub are tiled and partially covered in towada stone, since Yuki liked that it doesn’t feel cold when stepped on barefoot. The bathtub, imported by Fonte Trading, can be moved for easy cleaning. “In this house, I use all types of materials and devices so I can try them myself. Also, this house works as a showroom for my clients” says Yuki.
“I used to work in the bedroom, but not in this house.” The pristine bedroom on the third floor is completely a private space. The walls are plastered with diatomaceous earth, for the floor Yuki chose ash wood. The green sheer curtain by Creation Baumann and the painted green part of the storage door are used as accents. Since the ceiling is low, a low bed was custom-made. Along the length of the wall facing the bed is the couple’s closet, with the upper part designed for hangers and bags, and the lower part with drawers. The closet is spacious enough to separate clothes by season, so there is no need to rearrange it when the season changes.
From the third floor one can see the lush green trees, the glistening river, and Mt. Fuji behind the far mountain range. “Closer green brings the farther green closer,” they say. That’s why they planted a lawn along the edges of the terrace. The stairs set to match the height of the window become the best seating for enjoying the summer fireworks. Zettel’z lighting by Ingo Maurer and seating by Paola Lenti create a fun and relaxing space.
The north side was elevated in comparison with the south side, therefore you can look down and feel the atmosphere the river and the green bring. The fun part of the U-shaped layout is that you can see inside the other rooms.
“I wanted to make the southern side towards the river all glass,” says Yuki. She cleared the structural problems by using a stainless steel sash for the windows. The color of the sash is navy blue, being a little softer and subtler than black. “Adding lattice and breaking up the surface into smaller pieces give a good sense of distance from the outside view,” says Yuki.
“I don’t mind getting up early in this house, and I discovered my new hobby of fishing” says Sai.
“Inside and outside, this house is comfortable wherever you are. Being surrounded by the things you like, not only the furniture and the interior, but the materials, the colors … I feel completely relaxed. Since my job requires me to stay in the house for a long time, living in a stress-free house gives me great mental relief,” says Yuki.
Yuki designs houses that stay true to the people who live there, and to the surrounding nature. Her houses are full of aspects that make living enjoyable — a part of the house is designed like a greenhouse, a tree is planted inside the house, a room is designed like a classroom… Above all, she gives deep consideration to the daily housework and stress-free storage. “Houses shouldn’t (immediately) be at their best once completed. I always try to design them so that the personalities of the people who live in it shine through: the house should become better and better, the longer you live in it. Thus I take my time to understand what kind of life the client wants, what he or she likes, and I propose materials and spaces that will mature with time.”
“Inside and outside, this house is comfortable wherever you are. Being surrounded by the things you like, not only the furniture and the interior, but the materials, the colors … I feel completely relaxed. Since my job requires me to stay in the house for a long time, living in a stress-free house gives me great mental relief,” says Yuki.
Yuki designs houses that stay true to the people who live there, and to the surrounding nature. Her houses are full of aspects that make living enjoyable — a part of the house is designed like a greenhouse, a tree is planted inside the house, a room is designed like a classroom… Above all, she gives deep consideration to the daily housework and stress-free storage. “Houses shouldn’t (immediately) be at their best once completed. I always try to design them so that the personalities of the people who live in it shine through: the house should become better and better, the longer you live in it. Thus I take my time to understand what kind of life the client wants, what he or she likes, and I propose materials and spaces that will mature with time.”
“I hope looking at our house gives you ideas for your dream home,” says Yuki Horiuchi of Architectural Design Studio CY, a first-class qualified architect (right), with husband Sai Horiuchi, a writer and also management partner of Studio CY (left).
“The houses that will be created from this studio, the chemistry between the people that meet here, and moreover, how this house will be a few years down the road… They are all exciting to imagine. Both working and living in this house is a joy. It’s a place that makes us think ‘home is the best place in the world’.”
TELL US
What part of the design do you find the most striking? Let us know in the Comments section.
“The houses that will be created from this studio, the chemistry between the people that meet here, and moreover, how this house will be a few years down the road… They are all exciting to imagine. Both working and living in this house is a joy. It’s a place that makes us think ‘home is the best place in the world’.”
TELL US
What part of the design do you find the most striking? Let us know in the Comments section.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Architects Sai and Yuki Horiuchi
Location:Tokyo
Size: 1,582 square feet
Structure:Steel frame structure
Completed:2015
Architectural design:Studio CY
Contractor:Takamasa Construction Company
“I designed this house keeping in mind how much nature, light, and wind we could feel while living in the city,” says Yuki. The land is surrounded on three sides by other houses, except for the south end which faces the river, so she created a patio and backyard and placed them on the south end to shed the most light throughout the house. Windows cover most of the southern side of the house, so the view of the green and the river can be enjoyed from below on the first floor, at the eye level on the second floor, and from above on the third floor. They made slits in the walls and slightly raised the northern part of the building to allow the river to be heard and watched from anywhere in the house. “Both of us work at home, so I divided the house according to its different functions: the first floor is for public use, the second floor for both public and private, and the third floor is for private use only.”