In central Tokyo, a family of four sought to trade high-rise apartment living for a home with more space and tranquility—while staying within the heart of the city. “We wanted to be situated in an urban, residential area, where the presence of greenery and the gentle caress of the wind can be experienced throughout every season,” they say.

The couple called upon Tokyo firm Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP to envision a residence that would allow them to live in harmony with nature—even in a dense metropolis. “They wanted a house where they could live comfortably, feeling all four seasons, even in the center of the city,” shares principal architect and CEO Hiroshi Nakamura. “Instead of living in air-conditioned air, they wanted a place where they could be mentally and physically relaxed in the fresh air outside.”

Accordingly, Nakamura and team sought to create a transcendent home centered around nature. “There is a growing need for open spaces that contrast with the myopic daily routine of staring at screens,” says Nakamura. “Even in the densely populated urban center of Tokyo, we should discover that there is nature to be respected.”

The couple found an empty 2,150-square-foot corner lot that once housed a residential structure, and the team planned a new home that would allow the family to be in tune with nature, without blocking out the city entirely. “The connection with the urban environment is important,” says Nakamura. “Rather than completely isolating the surrounding view and noise that is created by the overcrowded city center, we incorporated it into the living space while controlling it through architectural methods and ideas.”

Case in point: The home has a semitransparent facade composed of 87 custom-made optical glass bricks, each over 13 feet tall. “Optical glass is used in microscopes, telescopes, and camera lenses, and is characterized by its translucency and high specific gravity,” explains Senior Architect Shohei Hatori. “The highly translucent characteristics of the glass allow the cityscape to be moderately blurred while maintaining a clear luminance.”

The shimmering surface looks almost like a cascading waterfall, which gives the home its name: the House of Cascade.

Just beyond the glass wall, a shukkei garden creates a transportive experience for the family of four. This style of Japanese garden uses stones, trees, and water to create an abstract, miniature version of a natural landscape—such as a mountain or river—within a far more constricted space.

“By juxtaposing the human scale with elements that initially seem out of scale—such as a terrace as large as the living/dining/kitchen, a massive optical glass facade resembling a waterfall, or towering trees that cover the sky—we can break through the mundanity of the everyday and embrace the novel sensations that arise,” says Nakamura.

The firm sought to make the garden evoke a sense of wonder and reflection. “The city noise, which is typically present, disappears, creating a serene atmosphere,” explains Nakamura. As sunlight hits the cascading glass waterfall, the auditory anticipation of rushing water is instead met with silence.

“Additionally, even if the wind does not directly touch your skin, you may feel a sense of coolness by observing the swaying of the branches and leaves of the trees,” he says. “Our aim is not to stimulate the senses directly, but to evoke the human senses and imagination indirectly.”

Elsewhere in the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, the firm employed materials and construction methods that tie back to the garden. “The ceiling, made of Kitayama cedar logs, is designed to emphasize the grandeur of the garden beyond,” explains Hatori. “We arranged the rafters of barked logs finely, like a hermitage in the Yamai.”

The stone floors—made of Zimbabwean granite—run fluidly from inside to out, enhancing the continuity of the space. “We have selected materials that will blend in over time, rather than deteriorate with age,” Hatori says.

“Our aim is not to stimulate the senses directly, but to evoke the human senses and imagination indirectly.”—Hiroshi Nakamura, Architect

The home’s three bedrooms are located on the third floor, and the family gathers in the second floor’s expansive living/dining/kitchen area. Cozy spaces—like a bench nook tucked into the staircase landing, and a study at the living room’s perimeter—give family members the freedom to retreat to private zones before coming back together.

“I feel that we are having more family conversations than ever before,” the homeowner says. “Each of us spends time in his or her favorite place, but the furniture and spaces have been arranged in such a way that we can feel each other’s presence.”

More projects by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP:

A Garden Hill Reflects Light Into This Modern Tokyo Home

A Japanese Retreat With a Glass “Cockpit” Places Wildflowers at Eye Level

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP / @hiroshi_nakamura_naparchitects

Builder/General Contractor: Satohide

Structural Engineer: yAt Structural Design Office Inc.

Landscape Design: Solso

Lighting Design: Daiko Electric Co.

Interior Design: Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Sound Engineer: Idéal Tokyo

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In This Tokyo Home, a Secret Garden Thrives Behind a Cascade of Glass