House in Shibukawa

A vertical void makes relationshipsA wooden 2-story house for a family built in the downtown area of Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, which has also a hair salon that runs by the owner. Parking lots are set to the front road and the opposite side of the house is used as a private garden.
While the hair salon is opening whole other rooms should be silent. This family has 2 children though they might make some noise after school or Sunday afternoon. The vertical void is sandwiched between the hair salon and their activity rooms and the vertical void solves to sound and vibration problem in a wooden structure especially. Of course it is better ventilation and getting sun light, part of circulation.expose/envelopeThe wooden structure is built to support a divided 2 volumes. But in the interior, the structure is not thought of as a structural frame which is thought of as a finishing material. This means that the interior is designed by partially exposing or enveloping of the structural frame.
The hair salon and living room are trapezoidal as floor shape. In this case, if the beams are arranged at equidistant, the beam height will increase according to the lengths. Utilizing this, we envelop the beams, which became larger due to the longer span on the second floor to put the equipment inside it. And partially expose the beams to keep the ceiling height of the hair salon.
On the other hand, in order to unify the beam height of the roof, the distance between the beams is adjusted. As a result, roof beams created a sense of depth in the living room interesting in perspective view.
The idea of “expose/envelop” is also related to design the doors, door handles, benches, counters, etc. By exposing or enveloping partially, the structure frame is weakened as physically, and showing it more materially. Thereby we could handle a structural frame as an element of the interior, such as furniture. We are designing architecture by thinking in terms of “structural frame or interior element”, means not what Structural frame becomes interior element as straightforward.A wooden 2-story house for a family built in the downtown area of Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, which has also a hair salon that runs by the owner. Parking lots are set to the front road and the opposite side of the house is used as a private garden.
While the hair salon is opening whole other rooms should be silent. This family has 2 children though they might make some noise after school or Sunday afternoon. The vertical void is sandwiched between the hair salon and their activity rooms and the vertical void solves to sound and vibration problem in a wooden structure especially. Of course it is better ventilation and getting sun light, part of circulation.expose/envelope
Residence + hairsalone @ Shibukawa Gunma
Architect: Yu Yamada, Tomohiro Okada /SNARK Inc.+ Shin Yokoo, Kakeru Tsuruta /OUVI
Construction: Shibusawa Techno Construction
Total area: 130.01㎡ ( 1F/64.17㎡ [ salon:48.17㎡ ] 2F/65.83㎡ )
Completion: Jun.2018
Photo: Ippei Shinzawa

House in Saishikada

Due to the instability of the existing retaining walls, the footings were extended deep into the load-bearing strata. The slabs are cantilevered to balance bending moments while preserving the natural topography. By layering these distinct spatial vectors, the house serves as a curated observation point that engages with its surroundings at varying depths.Stacked OrientationsLocated on a terraced hill in the suburbs of Midori City, Gunma, this two-story wooden residence occupies an embankment elevated three meters above the street. A long, rectangular volume was positioned to secure a southern garden while framing the expansive rural landscape unfolding below.The first floor is articulated as a linear sequence of living spaces, guided by four central columns. Along the longitudinal axes, the exterior walls are pleated, creating rhythmic alcoves that accommodate domestic functions internally—such as kitchens and window-side retreats—while forming sheltered voids externally for porches and equipment. To maintain an expansive interior free of structural partitions, the load-bearing walls were projected outward and rotated 45 degrees, effectively countering seismic forces from both directions.In contrast, the second floor emphasizes a longitudinal orientation. From the vantage points of the kids’ room and DJ booth—conceived as internal observation decks—the structural presence of the ridge beams becomes prominent. The void between these beams guides the inhabitant’s gaze toward the distant horizon, bridging the intimate interior with the vast pastoral scenery.
Residence @ Midorishi, Gunma
Design: Yu Yamada, Ryota Yamagishi, Sunao Koase /SNARK Inc.+ Shin Yokoo, Kakeru Tsuruta /OUVI
Construction: Matsunami Construction
Total area: 101.73㎡ (1F/75.96㎡ 2F/25.77㎡)
Completion: Sep.2018
Photo: Ippei Shinzawa

ippo Office

An office for a real estate brokerage firm. A single glass partition clearly separates the work and meeting areas. By precisely controlling the dimensions of custom-built low sofas and high-backed booth seating, we designed a space that adapts to diverse professional scenarios.
Office @ Shinjuku, Tokyo
Client: ippo Inc.
Design: Rei Oshima, Tomohiro Okada /SNARK Inc.
Project management / Design direction: Momoko Masuda, Yohei Yamaguchi /TRAIL HEADS
Construction: Total Project
Floor area: 80㎡
Completion: Sep.2018
Photo: Kei Ohnaka

FLAT Table coffee & meals

A specialty coffee cafe in a suburban commercial complex in Maebashi. The minimalist interior of white and wood provides a calm setting to enjoy diverse coffee origins. The main counter features intricately crafted plywood, establishing a distinctive identity for the space.
Cafe @ Maebashi, Gunma
Interior design: Tomohiro Okada /SNARK Inc.
Construction: Roccadia design and works
Furniture: Roccadia design and works, 梅田木工, スガノインテリア
Floor area: 49.68㎡
Completion: Sep.2018
Photo: Lo.cul.p

HAUS Inc. Office

The fixtures are designed for knockdown assembly and customization, providing the flexibility to adapt seamlessly to evolving scales and business models.
Office @ Shinjuku, Tokyo
Interior design: Yu Yamada /SNARK Inc.
Client: HAUS Inc.
Construction: DoubleBox
Furniture: gambit, Rice products
Floor area: 59.15㎡
Completion: Aug.2018
Photo: Takehiro Goto

Umemura

A renovation of a Kappo restaurant in Maebashi, Gunma. Mirroring the chef’s approach to highlighting the natural flavors of homegrown and fresh ingredients, the design remains honest to its materials. We used raw steel, brass, and clear-finished wood with exposed plywood edges, avoiding unnecessary processing to let the essential textures stand out.
Japanese restaurant @ Maebashi, Gunma
Interior design: Yu Yamada /SNARK Inc.
Construction: Nakazato Construction
Steelwork: Modan-Art
Floor area: 50.35㎡
Completion: Sep.2018
Photo: Lo.cul.p

SNARK TOKYO

The design for our Tokyo office deliberately diverges from the firm’s established formats and past detailing. Functioning as a site for structural and material experimentation, the space serves as a continuous 1:1 scale study of finishes, junctions, and systems.
Office @ Ebisu, Tokyo
Architect: Rei Oshima, Yu Yamada /SNARK Inc.
Construction: DEAK
Furniture: gambit, Rice products
Floor are: 40㎡
Completion: Jan.2018
Photo: Ippei Shinzawa

Shichirigahama House

A renovation of a villa in Shichirigahama, Kanagawa, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. To provide a subtle backdrop for the furniture and art, we preserved the original layout while refining the details for a minimalist aesthetic. The extensive use of MORTEX on floors and walls creates a minimal yet tactile finish.
Residence @ Shichirigahama Kamakura
Interior design: Sunao Koase /SNARK Inc.
Design direction: Yohei Yamaguchi /TRAIL HEADS
Furniture coordinate: Masayuki Sakurai /CIBONE
Furniture design: Masato Iwashita(LAND) /MACRI
Construction: Doublebox
Total area: 345.63㎡ ( B1F/133.60㎡ 1F/49㎡ 2F/24㎡ )
Completion: May.2018
Photo: Tomooki Kengaku

Joli,Jolie Salon de coiffure

A mixed-use residence featuring an integrated hair salon. The entire building is conceived as a unified commercial storefront, while the residential area at the rear is shielded from the street’s gaze. By prioritizing a north-south axis for light and ventilation, we created an open atmosphere that avoids any sense of confinement.
Hair salon + Residence @ Takasaki, Showa-machi
Design: Sunao Koase, Tomohiro Okada /SNARK Inc.
Construction: thinks 翼創建
Logo sign design: ashikazuan
Total area: 159.65㎡ ( 1F/76.85㎡ 2F/82.80㎡ )
Completion: jul.2018
photo: Lo.cul.p

Neutrino Office

Office @ Shibuya, Tokyo
Interior design: Rei Ohshima, Yu Yamada /SNARK Inc.
Project management design direction: Nozomi Takayama /TRAIL HEADS
Furniture design: MACRI
Green interior: Ryusuke Sakaino /AYANAS
Floor area: 262㎡
Completion:Jun.2018
Photo: Kei Ohnaka

Tsuki Ni Hiraku

A book cafe in downtown Maebashi centered on donated volumes.
The bookshelves were inherited from the local community, aligning the interior with the cafe’s communal character.
Book Bar @ Maebashi, Gunma
Design: SNARK Inc.
Furniture: Rice products, SNARK D.I.Y.
Floor area: 27.26㎡
Completion: May.2018
Photo: Tomohiro Okada

House in Nakauchi

We envision the residents actively shaping their environment, much like tending to a garden. Rather than a finished vessel, the architecture serves as a catalyst for a lifestyle that is continuously crafted and enriched by those who inhabit it.Transparent BarnLocated on the fringe of suburban Maebashi, where residential plots and agricultural fields interweave, the site is part of a pastoral landscape characterized by small barns and gardens that mediate the distance between neighbors. Following this local vernacular of a “house with a field and barn,” the design explores new possibilities for a lifestyle centered on the client’s passion for cultivating succulents.The residence is a compact, two-story volume with a loft, positioned on the northern end of the parallelogram-shaped site to secure a sun-drenched southern void. While traditional barns in the area are typically closed, independent sheds, we conceived this annex as a large-volume “transparent barn” that pairs with the main house. Linked by large sliding doors, it serves as a flexible extension that accommodates functions beyond the scope of the primary living quarters.To facilitate future modifications, the annex is constructed from small-section timber and translucent corrugated polycarbonate, with a structure independent of the main house. It functions as a versatile interface—serving as a greenhouse, atelier, and expanded entryway—that blurs the surrounding views to ensure privacy while maintaining a luminous connection to the outdoors. Even when closed, the translucent skin invites the softened landscape into the interior.Throughout the space, exposed floor beams allow for the free suspension of plants and lighting, with the diagonal orientation of the second-floor beams directing one’s gaze toward the horizon. Outside, the column bases are elevated on foundations and wrapped in copper to prevent decay, creating a material dialogue between concrete, copper, and wood that evokes the precision of furniture. By treating structural elements with this level of refinement, we sought to foster a sense of long-term attachment.
Residence @ Maebashi, Gunma
Architect: Yu Yamada, Tomohiro Okada /SNARK Inc.+ Shin Yokoo, Kakeru Tsuruta /OUVI
Construction: Omnibus inc.
Total area: 102.78㎡ ( 1F/52.48㎡ 2F/50.30㎡ )
Completion: Mar.2018
Photo: Ippei Shinzawa