YAP architects realizes its ‘house of ichijyoji’ in kyoto as a suspended nest

with its house of ichijyoji, japanese studio YAP architects renovates a compact apartment in kyoto to suggest ‘a nest within a tree.’ the dwelling sees the revitalization of a fifth floor corner unit within a 40-year-old apartment building. the orientation of the unit ensures natural sunlight and ventilation from three sides, along with views across its lush, natural context. the pre-existing layout saw a strict, cloistered division by partition walls, closing off much of the interior from the views outward. the design team opened the interior space with a suspended interior frame structure which demarcates the programming.

images by kenta hasegawa

YAP architects realizes its house of ichijyoji as a porous ‘nest’ which allows light and wind to circulate throughout the entire space. with all the interior partitions dismantled, a skeleton frame is suspended within the center of the open unit. this new volume is realized as an occupiable object which integrates furniture and programmatic zones, including a bedroom, piano space, and dining room. around this three-dimensional object, the design team organizes a bath space, a dressing room, a kitchen, a closet. these zones are arranged as a single connection, generating a ‘living landscape’ as if entwined in a nest.