Kiba Tokyo Residence by Sakae Architects & Engineers

ByJon Dykstra Houses

A photograph of the KIBA Tokyo Residence captured from the lower part of the structure, showcasing its striking vertical wooden louvered exterior design.

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SAKAE Architects & Engineers: Eisuke Yamazaki / Toshio Yoshikawa
Design Cooperation: Hiroshi Sakaguchi
Structural Design: Hiroshi Takeda
Facility Design: Koichi Nagashima
General Contractor: Kaneko Komuten
Photo Credit: Koji Fujii / Yuichi Higurashi
Location: KIBA Tokyo, Japan
Completion Date: 2019
Function: Residence + Retail shop
Scale: 7 stories
Structure: Reinforced-concrete
Site Area: 72.97 SQM
Building Area: 58.17 SQM
Floor Area: 385.52 SQM
Press Distribution: v2com

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About SAKAE Architects & Engineers

SAKAE Architects & Engineers is a Japanese architectural firm based in Tokyo, Japan, established in 1963. The firm’s body of work includes numerous office buildings, public buildings, educational, residential, medical, commercial, industrial, and more. The firm provides various architectural services, as well as planning and design. CEO (Principal Architect) Eisuke Yamazaki earned a Master of Architecture degree at Pratt Institute in New York, USA after first attending the graduate school of architecture in Japan. He is licensed as a first-class architect in Japan and has received several international architecture awards.

Awards

A picture of the KIBA Tokyo Residence highlights the building’s exterior design, focusing on its side view.
A daytime exterior shot of the KIBA Tokyo Residence, taken from a distance.
A daytime exterior shot of the KIBA Tokyo Residence, taken from a distance.
A distant view of the KIBA Tokyo Residence's exterior during nighttime.
A distant view of the KIBA Tokyo Residence’s exterior during nighttime.

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The front facade of the KIBA Tokyo Residence, offering a view of its exterior design during daytime.
The front facade of the KIBA Tokyo Residence, offering a view of its exterior design during daytime.
The front facade of the KIBA Tokyo Residence, offering a view of its exterior design during nighttime.
The front facade of the KIBA Tokyo Residence, offering a view of its exterior design during nighttime.
A low-angle photograph of the KIBA Tokyo Residence's exterior focuses on highlighting the verandas on each floor.
A low-angle photograph of the KIBA Tokyo Residence’s exterior focuses on highlighting the verandas on each floor.
A photograph of the minimalist living and dining area at the 6th floor Type C (designed for families with children) in the KIBA Tokyo Residence.
A photograph of the minimalist living and dining area at the 6th floor Type C (designed for families with children) in the KIBA Tokyo Residence.
A photograph depicts the shared dining and kitchen area at the 6th floor in the KIBA Tokyo Residence, highlighting the glass walls and the unique blend of lumber and concrete in its interior design.

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A photograph showcases the shared living, dining, and kitchen area in the KIBA Tokyo Residence, highlighting its minimalist interior design.
A photograph showcases the shared living, dining, and kitchen area in the KIBA Tokyo Residence, highlighting its minimalist interior design.
A close-up photograph of the wooden dining set is captured, with the view of the kitchen visible at the end of the photo.
A close-up photograph of the wooden dining set is captured, with the view of the kitchen visible at the end of the photo.
A close-up image of the kitchen sink with burner, with the view of the dining set visible at the end of the photograph.
A close-up image of the kitchen sink with burner, with the view of the dining set visible at the end of the photograph.
A picture captures the interior of the kitchen area located on the 4th floor Type B (specifically designed for couples) in the KIBA Tokyo Residence.
A picture captures the interior of the kitchen area located on the 4th floor Type B (specifically designed for couples) in the KIBA Tokyo Residence.
A photograph of the kitchen area located on the 4th floor in the KIBA Tokyo Residence is captured, highlighting the central staircase featuring white metal grills.
A photograph of the kitchen area located on the 4th floor in the KIBA Tokyo Residence is captured, highlighting the central staircase featuring white metal grills.

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A close-up photograph of the staircase is captured, emphasizing the glass walls and windows.
A close-up photograph of the staircase is captured, emphasizing the glass walls and windows.

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A photograph of the staircase captured from the ground level of the unit, showcasing its design featuring metal and wood elements.
A photograph of the staircase captured from the ground level of the unit, showcasing its design featuring metal and wood elements.
A close-up image of the staircase leading downstairs.
A close-up image of the staircase leading downstairs.
An image capturing the interior design of the library room in a unit at the KIBA Tokyo Residence, with emphasis on the staircase leading downstairs.
An image capturing the interior design of the library room in a unit at the KIBA Tokyo Residence, with emphasis on the staircase leading downstairs.
An image captures the second level of a unit in the KIBA Tokyo Residence, showcasing a net hammock and highlighting the outdoor space.
An image captures the second level of a unit in the KIBA Tokyo Residence, showcasing a net hammock and highlighting the outdoor space.
A photograph of the outdoor area of a unit in the KIBA Tokyo Residence.
A photograph of the outdoor area of a unit in the KIBA Tokyo Residence.
An exterior shot of the bathroom, taken from the outdoor area of the unit in the KIBA Tokyo Residence during nighttime.
An exterior shot of the bathroom, taken from the outdoor area of the unit in the KIBA Tokyo Residence during nighttime.

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A photograph capturing the interior of a unit in the KIBA Tokyo Residence, highlighting its spacious area and showcasing the exterior of a bathroom.
A photograph capturing the interior of a unit in the KIBA Tokyo Residence, highlighting its spacious area and showcasing the exterior of a bathroom.
An image captures the interior of a unit in the KIBA Tokyo Residence, emphasizing its spacious area and showcasing the glass walls surrounding it, as well as the exterior of the bathroom.

Tokyo, Japan, 2023-02-02 – The project consists of a rebuild of a residential building on a small site of Tokyo *KIBA. For adaptation of a variety of lifestyles, and to provide added value to the building, the firm designed multiple spaces using maisonnette-style housing as exceptional cases to the building standard law. Additionally, the firm attempted to balance the building in harmony with the historic site of KIBA, known for its lumber dealings. In doing so, the firm attempted to establish new values and lifestyles in the interior spaces, while preserving and presenting the structure’s historical and cultural heritage on the exterior.

*KIBA: Name of a place. “KI” means wood, and “BA” means town.

The capability of a small residential building within a city

Tokyo has been witnessing deterioration problems lately with old buildings, as well as excessive open spaces on small sites. In fact, many properties have been wiped out by urban renewal. For this project, the firm endeavored to explore the possibilities for developing a small residence on a small site in the center of Tokyo.

In order to adapt a variety of lifestyles to the city, as well as to maximize the potential of the small building, the firm designed the structure with multiple lifestyle spaces, despite the size restrictions of the site. The result is the creation of three different types of housings in a single building: Single-dweller residences (Type A), housing for couples (Type B) and accommodations for families with children (Type C). Despite the relatively small size of the building, the achievement of different types of housing contributes to a sense of community within the heart of the city.

Re-creating the landscape of Edo Tokyo KIBA

As for the site itself, due to the vastness of the land, with access to water in the center of Edo Tokyo, numerous lumber retailers historically stored their lumber in front of the structure, including some leaned up against the main entrance of KIBA. However, as most of the businesses migrated to the New-KIBA location in 1981, that original landscape has changed. With that in mind, the facade of the building was designed to reflect the image of the original KIBA landscape, with a focus on two distinct characteristics: its latticework and wooden louver. The design of the grid windows and sashes is derived from Kouraiya latticework, one of the most iconic latticework styles of the Edo period. The wooden louver recalls the original landscape of KIBA, when lumber still leaned vertically against the entrance of a retail shop.

KIBA Tokyo Residence

The firm’s approach to the interior and exterior design of the building took all of the aforementioned factors into account, with a focus on creating a small residential complex in a city, while endeavouring to re-create the landscape of Edo Tokyo KIBA.

KIBA Tokyo Residence is designed for the creation of new memories, while simultaneously ensuring that the original KIBA landscape will remain in people’s memories in the future. This architectural concept would become a model of global architecture.

Technical Challenge
The structural design focused on the construction of a seven-story reinforced concrete building, with four columns embedded in a small site with fragile ground. The large opening (Low-E double glazing) facing directly south allows abundant sunlight to pour in, creating a comfortable indoor environment, especially in winter. The wooden louvers, each about three meters in length and twenty-three meters high (max), are supported by wind pressure and load-bearing capacity considerations to the upper and lower ends in order to replicate the old landscape feature of lumber stacked against the front of the store. The wooden louvers are made of recycled wood, adding a significant sustainable and environmentally responsible component to the project.

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Jon Dykstra
Jon Dykstra

Jon practiced law before launching his online publishing career, bringing analytical rigor to everything he builds. Home Stratosphere combines that precision with a lifelong obsession with residential design — architecture, interiors, landscape, and furniture.

His current focus is AI-driven design analysis, using artificial intelligence to study patterns in color, layout, and material choice across thousands of homes. His Personality Type Home Design Guide applies personality frameworks to interior aesthetics, helping readers design spaces that reflect how they actually think and live.

His favorite piece on the site is the 25 Most Popular Designs, is a daily-updated ranking of the top designs over the last 30 days, driven entirely by visitor activity. The feedback is invaluable for understanding what resonates most with readers. LinkedIn

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