This project is the renovation of a unit in a high-rise apartment building in central Tokyo. The client’s request was to take full advantage of the panoramic views from the upper floors and to maximize natural light throughout the space. To achieve this, the layout was reconfigured as a spacious open-plan room without partition walls. The wet areas were relocated closer to the entrance, allowing for the open layout, while also allowing for a future conversion to a three-bedroom layout—offering flexibility with potential resale in mind. Curved shelving was introduced to gently define zones within the space, striking a balance between openness and a sense of comfort. The flooring was laid on a diagonal to draw the eye toward the large living room windows, enhancing the sense of spaciousness. Exposed concrete columns and beams add a strong architectural presence, and where they intersect with soft curves in the ceiling and wainscoting, a dynamic contrast between strength and softness emerges. For the finishes, subtly textured materials such as Jolypate, Mortex, and stone were selected to create visual depth and to highlight the unique character of each surface. A neutral color palette was maintained to complement the client’s collection of art and furniture, ensuring a cohesive atmosphere throughout the space.
Residence @ Roppongi, Tokyo Design: Rei Oshima, Shota Kaneko /SNARK Inc. Project management & Design direction: Masayuki Sakurai, Yusuke Kurii /TRAIL HEADS Construction: BEANS Total area: 155.84㎡ Completion: Dec. 2023 Photo: Tomooki Kengaku
This three-story wooden house is located in a dense wooden residential area in Kitasenju, Tokyo. Given the limited site area and the dense residential environment, we designed the structure to ensure livability and privacy. The three volumes are arranged diagonally in plan to keep the distance from the front road and surrounding buildings. In order to place the living room on the third floor, which has a higher floor height than the surrounding buildings, the ceiling of the first floor was raised to create a space that can be used as storage and a store. Bedrooms with low ceilings are placed on the second floor, and by varying the ceiling height on each floor, the high ceiling of the first floor and the openness of the third floor are emphasized. The staircase runs from the first floor to the loft, and the triangular atrium in the storage room on the first floor provide light and ventilation. In order to emphasize the frame of the three volumes, the height of each beam is unified, and where the beams are long, two beams are joined to reduce the height of the beams. The beams that protrude from the walls are used as bookshelves and storage for small items.
Residence @ Kitasenju, Tokyo Design: Yu Yamada, Mami Umayahara /SNARK Inc. Structural design: Shin Yokoo /OUVI Construction: Eishin Construction Steel products: gambit Total area: 111.68㎡ (1F/35.22㎡ 2F/35.12㎡ 3F/36.76㎡ PH/4.58㎡) Completion: Dec. 2023 Photo: Ippei Shinzawa
This is the Tokyo office of SNARK Inc. The office and material room were planned to fit the existing floor plan where the plumbing is concentrated in the center of the space. We designed three types of desks for the office room: freestanding, wall-supported, and shelf-supported, depending on where they are placed. We also designed slits into the desk tops to store charging cables, pens, and tissues. Products such as shelves, lighting, and paper holders were designed to be attached to the existing wall surface to create a sense of unity. To facilitate DIY installation of shelves in the material room, we designed stacked shelves with ready-made size tile tops and mirror-surfaced SUS pipes. This is an office of designers, by designers, for designers, where new structures and details can be improvised on the spot to fit existing conditions.
This is a renovation of the cafe and bar at Chigira Jinsentei, a traditional hot spring inn established in 1502 in Ikaho, Gunma. The kitchen was expanded and the layout was changed to serve breakfast and dinner. The windows overlook the mountains, which are colored with autumn leaves in fall. The seating and counter were rearranged to be parallel to the windows so that the guests can feel the seasons. The original 4-meter bar counter was replaced with a 6-meter solid top, and the existing plaster block was cut out and relocated to the cash register counter in front of the entrance. In order to maintain the overall atmosphere, the colors of the walls and beams were matched to the existing ones. We aimed to maintain the atmosphere of an inn with a history of more than 500 years, while providing an opportunity to attract new customers.
Cafe & Bar @ Ikaho, Gunma Design: Sunao Koase, Takeo Arika /SNARK Inc. Client: 千明仁泉亭 Construction: Karasawa Construction Counter top, Bar chair: WOOD IN WOOD FURNITURE Wood panel, Table top: kirika Steel Product: gambit ART coordination:akamanma ART:Hisashi Yamoto Floor area: 95.8㎡ Completion: Dec. 2023 Photo: Ippei Shinzawa
This is a project to build a new house along the Hirose River in Maebashi, Gunma. Due to land readjustment, it was necessary to rebuild the house about ten meters away from the original residence. The site is designated as a priority area for townscape formation along the Hirose River. In order to preserve the beautiful scenery, and to create a higher quality scenery along the Hirose River for future generations, townscape maintenance is being carried out by the city government. Based on the client’s request, the exterior walls were designed to blend in with the townscape by using bricks. The kitchen and living room on the second floor have large openings on the river side so that the client can enjoy the seasons viewing the cherry blossoms and weeping willows along the river. Both the cross-section and the floor plan has slopes to lead the residents’ eyes toward the river. The building responds to the view of the Hirose River with a comfortable design that respects the history and culture of the area.
This is an experiential showroom and workshop space located at the foot of Mt. Kannon in Takasaki, Gunma, where visitors can experience “life with a hut.” In this project, we ourselves have been involved in everything from site development to ongoing operation. We began by preparing the land—mowing, surveying, and planning a sloping lot that had once been wooded. The site was developed in accordance with regulations for scenic areas, landslide warning zones, and the Act on Regulation of Residential Land Development, with careful calculations of the soil volume. The huts were placed at intervals across the site and connected by paths. Although the entire grounds cannot be seen from the entrance, visitors can take in the full site and the Takasaki cityscape by moving in and around each hut. Normally, architectural firms design buildings based on given site conditions, but in this project, we designed the site itself. Thinking while making, and making while thinking. By working with our own hands, we aim to open up new possibilities for huts as tools for daily life.
Hut exhibition site @ Takasaki, Gunma Project design, Management: Natsuko Inoue, Yuki Ochiai Concept making: Tetsuro Yasunaga Design: Sunao Koase, Ayaka Seki, Takeo Arika /SNARK Inc. Landscape design: Sunao Koase, Ayaka Seki, Takeo Arika /SNARK Inc. Landscape construction, Planting plan: SNARK D.I.Y., AYANAS Art direction, Logo/Sign/Web design: Yuma Tobishima, Eri Sato /ampersands Construction: トージロー建築工匠, Roccadia design and works Steel products: gambit Total area: 34.78㎡, 22.62㎡ (1F/11.31㎡ 2F/11.31㎡), 11.87㎡ Completion: Jun. 2023 Photo: Yoichi Onoda
This DIY truck is one of CAINZ’s new projects to promote their “creating” culture throughout Japan. We designed the truck to fit the tables, chairs, and tools that are necessary for their workshops. All parts were made using CAINZ’s products, and shopbot was used to cut the wood. We made the furniture and tools simple so that a single woman could set up the workshop. By making each item small, it is easy to carry and can be set up in a variety of ways. The truck is filled with the fun of DIY, and is a perfect vehicle for conveying the “creating” culture of CAINZ to children.
Client: CAINZ CORPORATION Design: Sunao Koase,Takeo Arika /SNARK Inc. Construction: CAINZ D.I.Y. Illustration:Yoshiki Terasawa Photo:CRAFTIS MEDIA
This project involves the adaptive reuse of a building that served as a bank for 40 years in Shibukawa, Gunma, transforming it into an apparel boutique specializing in vintage clothing. The owner was drawn to the site by the character of its original brick tile exterior and the imposing presence of its stainless steel vault doors. To honor these existing textures, the interior walls were lined with lauan plywood, and the ceilings were painted in a custom hue specifically matched to the tones of the exterior brickwork. The finish of the lauan walls was the result of a meticulous on-site process, involving numerous custom paint samples to ensure a perfect harmony with the building’s historical elements. Within the expansive interior, the layout prioritizes flexibility; a system of reconfigurable hanging hanger pipes and mobile floor fixtures allows the owner to effortlessly rearrange the space. By treating both the building and the vintage garments with equal reverence, the project uncovers new value in the passage of time—bridging the past and present through thoughtful, modern intervention.
This is a residence for the client family to live with their parents in Nerima, Tokyo. The volume of the parents’ dwelling on the first floor and the volume of the children’s dwelling on the second floor are arranged diagonally. By placing the entrance and the garden in the space created by this arrangement, we designed a layout plan with rich outdoor space while ensuring privacy between the dwellings.The entrance for the client family on the first floor has an earth floor that leads to the garden. This allows light into the parent’s dwelling and creates a bright and open space. The second floor has a simple layout centering on the kitchen, living room, and dining room. That the living room floor is one step lower than the surrounding area, and the use of distinctive colors and materials such as flooring, tiles, and plastering accentuate the space. The balcony is enclosed by a wall and the floor level is aligned with the interior, making it feel like a part of the living room. By designing a plan that takes into consideration the privacy of both parents and client family, we have created a generous form of coexistence between them.
Residence @ Nerima, Tokyo Design: Rei Oshima, Shota Kaneko, Mami Umayahara /SNARK Inc. Structural design: Kakeru Tsuruta /TECTONICA Inc. Construction: Marukou Construction Total area: 259.28㎡ (1F/144.50㎡ 2F/114.78㎡) Completion: May. 2023 Photo: Ippei Shinzawa
