keiji ashizawa Archives

Japanese brand Karimoku Case has redesigned an apartment on a hilltop in Tokyo, using wood and a neutral colour palette to create a “calm and serene atmosphere”.

Named Azabu Hills Residence, the project was designed by Karimoku Case – a studio developed by Karimoku Furniture in collaboration with design studios Keiji Ashizawa and Norm Architects.

The studio used the project as an opportunity to optimise the use of local zelkova wood which is increasingly underutilised.

Living space interior of Azabu Hills Residence in Japan — The apartment features furniture made from zelkova wood

“We sympathized with the story of how zelkova used to be a common material in Japan, but is now being chipped and discarded, and wished to explore the possibilities of zelkova through this project,” lead designer Keiji Ashizawa told Dezeen.

“When I first saw the sample of it, I felt that its gentle reddish hue, along with its story, was a good match for the project,” he continued.

“We decided to create the interior using zelkova that would come in harmony with the gentle light from the north side.”

View into living space of Tokyo residence by Karimoku Case — A neutral material palette creates a “calm and serene atmosphere”

The 226-metre-square apartment was centred around a spacious, open-plan living area and dining room illuminated by floor-to-ceiling windows.

A small workspace nestled behind a wall in the living space makes use of the spacious interior, and is furnished with a desk, chair and shelving made from zelkova wood.

Desk space within Azabu Hills Residence in Tokyo — White plaster walls and wooden floors define the living spaces

The minimalist interior is defined by textured white walls and wood used for flooring, window frames and fittings, which are tied together by cream furnishings, paper lighting fixtures and decorative artwork.

In the living space, lattice wooden screens were used to separate programmes as well as provide cross ventilation through the space to create airy interiors.

“With the residence being located in the middle of a large city like Tokyo, it was important to have a home-like atmosphere that makes you feel at ease,” Ashizawa said.

“We were conscious of the calmness and tranquility needed to achieve this, and designed the interior with well-curated furniture, lighting, and art to create an environment for this purpose.”

Minimalist dining space in Azabu Hills Residence in Tokyo — Wooden, lattice screens allow ventilation through the home

A counter made from zelkova wood divides the living space and adjacent kitchen, while also serving as an additional seating and dining space.

Within the kitchen, cabinets built from gridded wooden frames were finished with concrete countertops, complemented by tiled terrazzo flooring that also features in the home’s entryway.

Bedroom interior of Tokyo apartment by Karimoku Case — Furnishings, paper lighting fixtures and pieces of artwork tie the interior together

Gridded wooden frames are repeated for both storage in the living area and a wall in the main bedroom where the home transitions into a cosy-feel with carpet flooring.

A circular chair and marbled table sit in front of the bedroom’s floor-to-ceiling windows, with a study desk nestled into the corner.

Bedroom interior of minimalist apartment Tokyo by Karimoku Case — Gridded wooden frames feature in the kitchen, living space and bedroom

Other recently completed projects with minimalist interiors include a dental clinic in Montreal designed to feel like “someone’s home” and a London pub converted into a pared-back jewellery showroom.

The photography is by Tomooki Kengaku.

Project credits:

Architect: Keiji Ashizawa Design
Project architect: Keiji Ashizawa / Ryota Maruyama
Client: reBITA / NTT Urban Development Coperation Tokyo
Construction: Tamarix
Furniture collaboration: Norm Architects
Furniture: Karimoku Case
Lighting: Kojima Shoten / Saito Shomei
Lighting plan: AURORA / Yoshiki Ichikawa
Interior styling: Yumi Nakata

Reference

Japanese architect Keiji Ashizawa has created the interior for a skincare clinic in Tokyo, using textiles and custom-made furniture to make it feel more residential than medical.

The Aloop Clinic & Lab, which provides “skin cure and care”, is located in the city’s upscale Ginza area and run by Japanese beauty company POLA. Ashizawa wanted to give it an interior that would feel peaceful, while also representing the brand.

White Aloop clinic reception — The Aloop clinic has a calm minimalist interior

“As a clinic that uses medical technology to deal with beauty, we thought that the space should have sincerity, calmness, and beauty in order to create a comfortable time for customers to feel at ease,” Ashizawa told Dezeen.

“In addition, considering that this is a completely new business for the POLA beauty brand, we felt that it was necessary to create a space that would enhance the brand.”

Wooden panelling inside Aloop clinic — Wood was used throughout the space

To do so, Ashizawa looked at the design of the 210-square-metre clinic like he would if he were designing a residential space, giving it a calm, minimalist interior.

“Although it is a clinic, I considered the space to be similar to a hotel or a living space,” he said. “Therefore, I used materials that I use in designing living spaces and hotels.”

“The walls are plaster and the floor is a wool rug from Hotta Carpet,” he added. “The sofa and furniture at the characteristic entrance are made of Kvadrat wool textile to create a pleasant texture.”

Treatment room in Japanese skincare clinic — Treatment rooms were designed to have a residential feel

The architect used a clean, simple colour palette throughout the space, with white-painted walls contrasting against wooden panelling and wooden doors.

“Wood was used for doors, furniture and details because we wanted to create a residential calm rather than a clinic,” Ashizawa said. “We felt that a bright and healthy atmosphere was necessary.”

“The extensive use of wood was to create a residential atmosphere, and we wanted the space to be as far away from a typical clinic as possible,” he added.

Sofas by Karimoku — Keiji Ashizawa created custom-made sofas with furniture brand Karimoku

His studio worked together with wooden furniture brand Karimoku to design the custom-made sofas for the space, which welcome customers as they enter the clinic.

“Of particular importance to this project were the custom sofas,” Ashizawa said.

“We asked Karimoku, with whom we communicate on a daily basis for furniture development and wood projects, to work with us on the development of the furniture.”

He compared his collaboration with the brand to that of mid-century modern Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and furniture brand Artek.

“For me, Karimoku has become an indispensable partner in thinking about space, just as Aalto is for Artek,” he explained.

Calm treatment room in Tokyo — Neutral colours contrast against pale wood

By creating the sofas with rounded edges, Ashizawa aimed for them to “gently envelop” customers after their treatments.

“The mere fact that something looks hard or painful makes the body tense, so we thought it would be desirable to eliminate such things,” he said.

“However, in order to maintain a comfortable sense of tension in the room, delicate details of metal and wood were used to achieve a balance.”

Sculptures in Aloop clinic — Small sculptures decorate the space

Small sculptures were dotted throughout the Aloop clinic, including in the treatment rooms.

Ashizawa has previously designed an interior with a similar colour palette for the Hiroo Residence in Tokyo, and also used plenty of wood for his and Norm Architects minimalist Trunk Hotel design.

The photography is by Tomooki Kengaku.

Reference

keiji ashizawa

Karimoku Case lines minimalist Tokyo apartment with local wood

Keiji Ashizawa adds “residential calm” to Aloop clinic in Ginza

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