Gold Winner of the Architecture & Design Collection Awards 2023

somo somo house

Interior Design
Domestic Interior Space Design

Architect / Designer:

Takeshi Odaki, Mayo Takato

Studio:

TOASt

Design Team:

Construction1:SET UP CO.,LTD.
Construction2:smmk-work

Copyright:

Yasuhiro Nakayama Photo office

Country:

Japan

Renovation of one room in a 50-year-old wall-type RC apartment. The existing plan was 2K with two Japanese-style rooms and a kitchen, and the area was about 30 square meters. On the other hand, the ceiling height was high at 2.9m, and it had an open view with sunlight on three sides. In order to make the most of the space created by the structure, instead of using a “floor plan” that divides functions with partitions, the functions that make up a house, such as the toilet, bath, kitchen, storage, and entrance, are minimized and subdivided into furniture-like boxes. I put them in and distributed them. This “box containing functions” is lifted off the floor by supporting it with legs or setting it on a stand. A part of this gap has a minimal rise for equipment piping, and the space that would normally be under the floor is used as a living space. Additionally, the gap between the box and the ceiling can be used for storage. There is a blank space between the boxes that can be changed depending on the situation. By treating the functions of the house like furniture, this plan aims to maximize the use of small spaces and transform them into spatial richness.

TOASt

TOASt is an architectural unit by Takeshi Odaki and Mayo Takato. Established in 2019 and based in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, we mainly work on projects ranging from residential buildings to mixed-use buildings.
I try to think about architecture from the perspective of daily life. We design to create rich lifestyles and landscapes based on what we notice in everyday life, such as cleaning, cooking, and caring for plants and flowers. Additionally, through dialogue with the client, we aim to design in collaboration with the client.
Through our YouTube channel called “somosomo” (Japanese for “to begin with”), we also introduce our daily life awareness and design activities.

We encourage designers and architects to share their best projects with the rest of the world so as to inspire the next generation and gain global recognition.