This is an art gallery in Ginza, Tokyo. The plan was to place white walls for exhibition within the existing structure. The white walls were designed to appear freestanding. We tried to minimize the construction cost while eliminating unnecessary elements in the space.
Gallery @ Shintomi, Tokyo Design: Sunao Koase, Shota Kaneko / SNARK Inc. Client: CURIO Construction: Total Project Floor area: 21.20㎡ Completion: Apr. 2022 Photo: Ippei Shinzawa
Located in Annaka, Gunma, this project involves the renovation of a long-standing liquor store and the integration of a new cake stand. To accommodate a dedicated space for original goods—designed by the owner—as well as an eat-in area, the shop was expanded into the rear warehouse. Addressing the constrained and closed feeling of the original layout, the liquor retail area was widened, while a new entrance and deck were introduced for the cake stand to create a fluid, circular circulation path that invites exploration. The design maintains the integrity of the existing liquor store with minimal intervention, allowing the contemporary finishes of the cake stand to bleed into the original space, naturally drawing visitors toward the rear. By clearly defining the transition between old and new materials, the project achieved a striking contrast while remaining cost-effective. This juxtaposition serves as a bridge between the past and the future, establishing a space that feels familiar to longtime regulars yet fresh and inspiring to new guests.
This project is the office relocation of Smart Checkout Inc., the company behind Pay Light, a payment service developed for dental clinics. For their new office, the client sought a space that itself embodied innovation and signaled the next step in their business. To achieve this, we designed a symbolic central feature occupying about one-third of the main work area—a carved-out mass that functions as multipurpose furniture. It serves as a place where employees can casually gather for conversations or host seminars and other events. Around this centerpiece, we arranged Herman Miller office furniture that balances design and functionality, allowing employees to choose the most suitable setting for their work. In this way, the office provides a flexible and comfortable environment that adapts to diverse working styles.
Smart Checkout Office @ Marunouchi Tokyo Client: Smart Checkout Inc. Design: Rei Oshima, Mami Umayahara /SNARK Inc. Project management / Design direction: Momoko Masuda /TRAIL HEADS Construction: Mitsubishi Jisho Property Management Co., Ltd. Furniture coordinate : Herman Miller Total area: 491.15㎡ Completion: Dec.2022 Photo: Tomooki Kengaku
Situated on a spacious plot of former farmland in Fujioka, Gunma, this wooden residence was designed for a couple—a photographer and an online used book retailer. The brief called for an expansive, light-filled living area for photography and shelving to accommodate a vast collection of 10,000 books. Within a simple rectangular plan, the west-facing living room serves as the brightest and largest volume. The structural ingenuity of its column and beam system introduces rhythmic shadows to the facade, effectively mitigating the building’s perceived scale. Rather than centralizing the library, bookshelves are distributed throughout the home: full-height shelves in corridors and staircases, niches precisely sized for a single volume, and shelving that doubles as handrails. This ensures that books remain an integral part of the daily scenery from every vantage point. The spatial volume was dictated by the requirements for photography, while the scattered library for 10,000 books fosters seamless connections between rooms. Ultimately, the residence stands as a direct architectural manifestation of the couple’s professional lives.
Residence @ Fujioka, Gunma Design: Sunao Koase, Noriko Koba / SNARK Inc.+ Shin Yokoo /OUVI Structural design: Shin Yokoo /OUVI Construction: Omnibus inc. Total area: 138.21 ㎡ (1F/91.41㎡ 2F/46.80㎡) Completion: Aug. 2022 Photo: Ippei Shinzawa
Situated within the historic Yamana Hachiman-gu Shrine in Takasaki, Gunma, this Nou-ryou (summer cooling) structure was conceived as a serene spot where visitors can enjoy shaved ice while listening to the delicate sounds of wind chimes. It features a modular knockdown system, meticulously designed for easy assembly and disassembly, with each component sized for portability by a single individual. Utilizing standard materials sourced from local hardware stores, the structure was entirely handcrafted, including all precision cutting and joinery. While originally intended as a seasonal summer installation, its versatility has allowed it to evolve into a year-round fixture. It now serves as a mobile temporary sanctuary, relocated to various sites throughout the shrine grounds to support different spiritual and communal needs across all seasons.
A renovation of a lightweight steel-frame house in Maebashi, Gunma. Originally a grandparents’ home, the space was reconfigured for a family of five by removing all interior partitions—a feat made possible by the load-bearing exterior walls. The layout was designed to harmonize with the family’s furniture and a future pellet stove, featuring personal lockers and a generous laundry area on the first floor. On the second floor, compact private rooms use screw-fixed plywood walls, allowing for easy DIY modifications as life stages evolve. By treating storage and partitions as integrated furniture, the design creates a flexible environment that elevates the building’s rational steel frame into a distinct design accent.
This bespoke piece, featuring an integrated turntable, was created for an exhibition centered on the theme of a shrine where sound is worshipped as a deity. While initially conceived as a DJ booth, we integrated the form and function of a saisen-bako (offertory box) into its design to align with the project’s spiritual concept. Developed in close collaboration with a master craftsman, the unit achieves an exceptional level of precision and refined detailing, resulting in a presence reminiscent of high-end audio equipment. The final result is an art piece that seamlessly bridges conceptual depth with masterful quality, standing as a testament to the harmony between form and function.
To ensure privacy within the shared program, the living areas for both generations are sectionally offset. The first-floor parents’ living area is designed as a single-story wing, lending an intimate scale to the southern streetscape. The second floor features an open, circular plan centered around a core, where daily life unfolds against a panoramic backdrop of the surrounding rice fields. Responding to the orderly patterns of the rural landscape, the symmetrical elevation is accented by a protruding volume on the second floor, which serves as a porch roof for the garden entrance below. The house is a synthesis of modest, thoughtful interventions that engage deeply with its regional context.Located in Sanjo, Niigata, this wooden two-generation residence responds to the distinct environmental demands of Japan’s snow country. In this region, where snow-melting pipes line the streets and carports are a prerequisite for daily life, the design embraces the carport as an integral part of the site’s architecture. The entrance is conceived as a high-volume atrium that rises above the carport roof, leveraging elevated windows to secure ample natural light and ventilation. This atrium acts as a climatic device: in winter, it draws in solar-heated air, while in summer, it brings in air cooled by the shade of the carport. This natural cycle is facilitated by internal openings in the second-floor washroom and louvers in the stairwell that lead to a rooftop skylight.
Residence: @ Sanjyo, Niigata Design: Yu Yamada, Mako Shimanuki /SNARK Inc. Construction: Nakashin House Total area: 148.76㎡ (1F/84.46㎡ 2F/64.3㎡) Completion: Aug.2022 Photo: Ippei Shinzawa
This project involved converting a wooden house in Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture, into a hair salon. The client requested a distinctive interior suited to a salon, along with improved insulation performance appropriate for the cold climate—all within a limited budget. To meet these needs, spray polyurethane foam insulation was applied and intentionally left exposed as an interior finish, turning a technical necessity into a design feature. Due to the frost line in the region, the building’s foundation was originally quite deep. Taking advantage of this, the cutting area was placed slightly below the original floor level, creating variation in the spatial experience. By incorporating local characteristics into the interior design, the building was transformed into a unique and original salon rooted in its regional context.
Situated in Kamogawa, Chiba, this condominium renovation serves as a secondary residence for a Tokyo-based client seeking a space for both recreation and a productive change of pace. To create a sense of expansive openness, the original interior—previously partitioned for a family household—was stripped of its walls to create a large, studio-like environment. The bedroom features full-height sliding doors, a design choice that balances privacy with an uninterrupted visual flow throughout the unit. By curating the entire furniture collection—ranging from the office desk and sofa to stools and the bed—we meticulously tailored every detail to harmonize the requirements of both work and relaxation.
Residence @ Kamogawa, Chiba Design : Rei Oshima, Mami Umayahara /SNARK Inc. Project Management / Design Direction: Masayuki Sakurai, Yohei Yamaguchi /TRAIL HEADS Construction: Total Project Floor area: 76.38㎡ Completion: July. 2022 Photo: Daisuke Shima /ad hoc
