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Custom spa terrace.

The sea-facing side has a large covered deck. Thin slats of larch on this facade create a slimmer profile that contrasts the large floor-to-ceiling windows.

The light at the end of the tunnel-like entrance draws visitors to the oversized slab-style front door.

Though the home is located in a dense residential neighbourhood, the patio creates a buffer between the interior and the world outside, while still letting in light, greenery, and fresh air

The oversized glass sliding doors open up wide to connect the open-plan second floor with the intimate patio space.

With a view of the top-floor patio, the Fonte Trading bathtub offers a chance to bathe in natural light, too. Moristo One tiles line the shower stall.

“We wanted to connect their lifestyle to the design and the materials,” says Ashizawa. The Nanaminoki tree and other plantings outside the wide windows bring a green into an otherwise minimalist palette.

The vertical lattice that surrounds the patio is made from ipe, a durable hardwood that will stand up to the elements throughout the years.

“From the city to the house, there’s a big gap. You need to have a space to adjust to the feeling,” says Ashizawa. The long form of the entry corridor does just that, taking cues from Japanese temple architecture to create a moment of intimacy before the awe. “The house is lucky enough to have kind of a magical space.”

The palette here is fairly neutral, with the greenery outside and wooden details providing warmth. “It’s almost monotone,” says Ashizawa: warm whites and greys blur into off-blacks.

An oversized sectional in the living room provides the perfect place for the whole family to kick back during movie nights. “The clients fought to have a big Italian couch,” Ashizawa laughs. “I told them, ‘okay, but I get to choose the color.’” The soothing grey Minotti was the compromise.

Climb the steel staircase from the first floor to the living, dining, and kitchen area, which open on to a small terrace with a private garden. On the top floor, rooms for the homeowners and their children are tucked away along with a bathroom illuminated by light from the courtyard.

Ashizawa’s attention to detail goes beyond the architecture. His firm also designed much of the furniture inside the home, including the dining room table and the oak kitchen cabinets.

Ariake Dovetail barstools are tucked up at the kitchen island, which is finished with a Silestone charcoal soapstone.

The family of five who live here love the outdoors; the architecture of their home brings that nature in to every moment... even when you're sitting on the built-in entryway bench to put on your shoes.

Ashizawa’s background is in steelwork, so getting the staircase right was critical. It needed to be structurally sound, but not so big and bulky it would block the light from the patio. The clever use of a support rod in the middle of the structure allows for sturdy but lightweight steps.

The first floor houses a storage room, guest room, gym and garage, all built around the lush inner courtyard.

The south-facing entrance is tucked away from the road: visitors follow a path that snakes past the patio, past vertical lattice walls and into a cozy, cave-like corridor.

An Ingo Maurer Flotation light hangs over the Keiji Ashizawa-designed kitchen table, which is lined with Carl Hansen chairs.