This apartment building is located in the Shijō Karasuma area, the center of commerce, culture, and business in Kyoto. The project location is characterized by being divided in two, and we aimed to make the best use of each site for a new style of residence with a design connecting the two buildings, which is unusual in traditional townhouses in Kyoto.

The design concept is “Modern & Woven.” By using modern materials to express the architectural style of Kyoto townhouses, we have woven modernity into tradition and culture.

On the second and third floors, which are closer to people’s line of sight, we have provided eaves with a tiled roof motif and achieved harmony with the surrounding streetscape. By installing louver window grating with various angles at the front, we have allowed for privacy from the street while making it possible to enjoy changes in expression over time, depending on the angle of viewing. In the entrance, we have incorporated the spatial composition of the ancient capital’s alleys and zushi (pathways between cul-de-sacs) into the design and, in Rin-no-tei, produced a space as though gentle sunlight were shining into an alley, adding color through the lighted paper wall and the lacquer art. In Sai-no-tei, we used the image of the zushi, and the warm wood-finish louvers draw people further and further toward the rear, where fretwork, a traditional Kyoto craft, forms an accent in the space.

These are residences that are accompanied by the “individuality” woven by Kyoto’s tradition and modern sensibilities.