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Built with specially-formulated concrete made of volcanic ash, this micro-house in Tokyo maximizes space through vertical construction. When Tokyo-based architecture firm Atelier TEKUTO received a brief from their clients to build a distinctive, environmentally-conscious concrete home, they embarked on a two-and-a-half year journey of spacial and material exploration. Built in 2015, the result—the R Torso C project—recently won the Overall Excellence Award and first place in the low-rise buildings category at the 2017 American Concrete Institute Awards.

Graci works from home so she turned a former closet in the living room into an office. “I always get frustrated at how inefficient closets are,” she says, noting how the very top of the space is difficult to access because doors are usually so much lower than the ceilings. Andrew designed and built a custom workstation for her, which takes advantage of the full width and height of the nook and has a surface that can be collapsed into the desk.

In the spa-like primary bathroom—reconfigured so the tub sits directly beneath an existing skylight—basil cement tiles from Clé Tile complement a countertop and surround in mint verde terrazzo from Concrete Collaborative. “Green is my favorite color,” says Nicole. “It connects to nature, which I’m inspired by every day.”

The Outline Sofa is from Muuto, and the area rug is from Morrow Soft Goods.

A bedroom is located within the column in the middle of the house.

A glass ceiling shelters steps leading to the entrance.

For Síol Studios, which is an integrated practice with a holistic approach to architecture, interior design, and landscape designs, the renovation was also a chance to restore the garden, creating a landscaped oasis with a sunken fire pit visible from the earthquake shack-slash-revived dining room.

The primary bedroom features the floor-to-ceiling drapes that are a staple throughout the new renovation, highlighting the home's tall ceilings.

The studio is meant to be a place where Mike can invite collaborators to come work on material, whether they’re musicians or poets or artists—or his 16-year-old daughter, Tessa. “We’ve been singing together publicly since she was ten,” Mike says. The chandelier is from Multiforme.

Storage spaces boast a treasure trove of musical equipment.

The whole building is nestled into the earth, making the surrounding woods feel even closer. “I’m not the outdoor type,” Mike says. “I wouldn’t want to be outside, but it’s the closest thing to it while being inside.” Microphones on the balcony can pipe the sounds of the outdoors into the recording studio instead of keeping them out.