Hiroo Apartment | Keiji Ashizawa Design

Located in a quiet residential area in the heart of Tokyo, this renovation project is for a luxury condominium at Opus Arisugawa Terrace & Residence. The area is popular among families for its favorable neighborhood, including Arisugawa Palace Park in close proximity. The living room space facing the open area on the south side in particular had long hours of sunlight, which creates a bright atmosphere. In response to the increasing desire of urban dwellers to reside closer to nature, the space lets in the light to extend well into the inner walls of the living space. The essences of the interior are embraced by the textures; the slightly white-stained oak floors and walls, and plaster walls cherishing the handwork strokes.

As a continued collaboration, we worked with Karimoku to create walls, kitchen and cabinetry, interior windows in order to improve the thermal environment, along with the furniture and sculptural art with the intent of creating an exquisite space. Working together with a team of like-minded manufacturers, who have a shared value and understanding of furniture and its tactile qualities, the craftsmanship comes across in the presence of the space. This is essential in creating a minimalist space with quality and comfort.

For the furniture, we asked Norm Architects to design the dining chairs; in result a light chair inspired by Shaker furniture woven with paper cord was created. The characteristics of the chairs allows for a lightness and homely feeling in the large dining space. In the entrance and living room are art pieces by Sara Martinsen and Atelier Plateau, an artist introduced by Norm Architects, made in collaboration with Karimoku. These pieces are in harmony with the wooden furniture, creating a dialogue of kinship in the space. Apart from the furniture and art, the pendant lighting was custom made to bring the soft light from the living room to the dining space, along with the wooden speakers made in collaboration with DYNAUDIO.

Our goal is to design spaces that can only be created by meticulously crafting from the smallest detail to the furniture, resulting in a quiet, comforting, and inspiring atmosphere with little noise, surrounded by natural materials crafted with tactility. This is the intent of every Karimoku Case Study space we create, where we hope that it will serve as an aspiring model for urban dwellers overflowed with information, who may be stressed yet curious in living more harmonized with nature.

Architect: Keiji Ashizawa Design

Project architect: Keiji Ashizawa / Yuichiro Takei

Furniture Collaboration: Norm Architects

Furniture: KARIMOKU CASE STUDY

Interior Styling: Yumi Nakata

Photo: Tomooki Kengaku