has achieved a delicate balance of gravity and tension in their design for Sannouno’s office in Okazaki city, Aichi Prefecture, . The studio has topped the open plan, timber structure with an impossibly thin, gravity-defying inhabitable roof. Standing on top of this undulating surface, one may easily forget they are in a densely packed residential area. Instead, they become immersed within a softly sloping park, surrounded by the lush greenery that shoots out of the top of the building.
The ground floor unfolds without strict spatial distinction. Spaces flow into another with a high level of transparency. Work zones fall between a sea of seemingly randomly dispersed columns whose thin proportions appear inadequate to support the roof structure sitting above. Interiors unfold with a sense of delicate refinement, the direct result of the understated structural system. The whole project is wrapped with warm wood – from the columns to the built-in bookcase and sloped ceiling. The repetitiveness of the material creates an aesthetic and an enviable work environment. A glass wrapped façade invites warm light in from the street, while small exterior gardens dotted across the floor plan invite nature directly into the workday.
Studio Velocity wanted to achieve a very thin with a flat-cross section, a design that would seemingly be defying gravity. Reinforced concrete and curved steel keel structural systems, delivering a thicker slab, were avoided. Instead, a prestressed structure was employed, the assumed maximum load pulled in advance then fixed in place, allowing for a delicate, thin slab and an extra-fine column system.
The upper floor – a small glass-clad box perched on the roof, features a small communal kitchen and dining area that opens onto the rooftop. A series of opening cut holes in the white floor allow the trees below to continue growing upward.
Despite being nestled between a collection of homes, there is a sense of privacy due to the building’s curved form – a small green oasis within the residential area. A very special office space we would all love to work from.
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