NAYA Architects / Manabu Naya

A home for a young couple. On this narrow, east-west-oriented lot, the first floor was designed as a private space, while the second floor houses the living-dining-kitchen area. A central staircase core was placed to reinforce the structure and extend all the way to the rooftop. Centered around the staircase core, the first floor gently separates the bedroom and utility areas, while the second floor separates the dining-kitchen and living spaces.

On the first floor, high-side windows allow for natural light while maintaining privacy. On the second floor, to bring the separate dining-kitchen and living areas closer together and connect them, we installed a long bay window extending slightly from the building’s east-west axis. This long bay window not only brings light and air to the entire second-floor living-dining-kitchen area but also expands the potential for light to enter even if a building is constructed to the south in the future.