Collection by Maggie Kinser Hohle

Building Blocks

On a double suburban lot in Tokyo, the Office of Ryue Nishizawa built a neighborhood-scaled, flexible-format minimalist steel prefab compound for Yasuo Moriyama—a very private individual with a powerful social bent—and six rental tenants. Every room is its own building—even Moriyama's bath is a freestanding box. Here, tradition and innovation interweave to create a new kind of community.

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Friends from Tokyo are touring the house. Their miscellaneous footwear litters the entranceway of three-story Unit F.
Friends from Tokyo are touring the house. Their miscellaneous footwear litters the entranceway of three-story Unit F.
Nakamura (far right), Masako Nishizaki (the only resident not involved in design), and Ippei Takahashi enjoy a sushi lunch.
Nakamura (far right), Masako Nishizaki (the only resident not involved in design), and Ippei Takahashi enjoy a sushi lunch.
Johanna Meyer-Grohbruegge, the newest resident and one of the rotating international architects in Ryue Nishizawa’s office, works in the sanctuary of her room (Unit I).
Johanna Meyer-Grohbruegge, the newest resident and one of the rotating international architects in Ryue Nishizawa’s office, works in the sanctuary of her room (Unit I).
A stream of curious visitors necessitates plenty of takeout. The 2946-23 chair by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa for NextMaruni (waits patiently near a fresh delivery of soba noodles and curry.
A stream of curious visitors necessitates plenty of takeout. The 2946-23 chair by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa for NextMaruni (waits patiently near a fresh delivery of soba noodles and curry.
The stereo in Unit A’s third-floor bedroom/study box is just a tease compared to the windowless basement “audio room,” where Moriyama spends private time in the company of 2,000 vinyl albums, mostly jazz. Here, a few albums are accompanied by Noguchi’s Akari Lamp 1N.
The stereo in Unit A’s third-floor bedroom/study box is just a tease compared to the windowless basement “audio room,” where Moriyama spends private time in the company of 2,000 vinyl albums, mostly jazz. Here, a few albums are accompanied by Noguchi’s Akari Lamp 1N.
Each unit has its own outdoor space, but none are physically bounded, facilitating spontaneous interaction. Taeko Nakatsubo, an architect with the Office of Ryue Nishizawa, enjoys a quiet moment outside.
Each unit has its own outdoor space, but none are physically bounded, facilitating spontaneous interaction. Taeko Nakatsubo, an architect with the Office of Ryue Nishizawa, enjoys a quiet moment outside.
In Unit J's kitchen, the Bouroullec brother's Algue for Vitra echoes the greenery outside.
In Unit J's kitchen, the Bouroullec brother's Algue for Vitra echoes the greenery outside.
The evening bath is a ritual in Japan, and public baths are still around, but this is a new twist. Moriyama curtains the bath during use, but won’t cover any other windows, “because it feels good to couple the inner space with the outside world.”
The evening bath is a ritual in Japan, and public baths are still around, but this is a new twist. Moriyama curtains the bath during use, but won’t cover any other windows, “because it feels good to couple the inner space with the outside world.”
The compound at dusk.
The compound at dusk.