The Nest by APOLLO Architects in Nagoya, Japan

Project: Nest
Architects: APOLLO Architects
Location: Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Area: 462 sq ft
Photographs by: Masao Nishikawa

The Nest by APOLLO Architects

Nest is a small house located within a commercial area near Nagoya, Japan. This 462 sq ft family home is designed by APOLLO Architects. The home is built with steel frame structure spanning through three levels. The building area was just 355 sq ft. The chic exterior of the building is covered with brown-colored louver and exterior wall with gray-colored spray paint which looks as if it was a bird’s nest which is where the name of the house comes from.

From the architects: “The 1st floor level consists of a garage space in a piloti style for a small car, the entrance to the house at the end of the approach, and a main bedroom, while the 2nd floor level is compactly provided with a children’s room and water section. The entire space of the main bedroom is treated as furniture to be conscious about the tightness of the space, thus a bed with storable mattress was provided along with a headboard equipped with indirect lighting system, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere only available within such “tight” space.
The children’s room on the 2nd floor level is intentionally kept as an open layout continuous to the staircase area, allowing to be used as a multi-purpose space for adding spatial flexibility to the entire house. Because of this house in such small configuration, it is necessary to provide a niche space beyond pure functionality. A cockpit-style kitchen is provided on the 3rd floor level for mother and daughters to enjoy cooking together in the future, while this kitchen is connected to a compact dining table to make the space as a central focus of the house. The finish of the built-in kitchen and the interior is consistent by the use of lauan plywood, creating a sense of unity within the small space and pleasant feeling from its fine details.
The top light above the double-height living space provides ample daylight, creating an open atmosphere with the view to the sky. Louver of the balcony allows visibility from inside, while the sight from the outside is blocked to control the privacy level. This is the prototype of an urban residence, realizing the originality of the client by making the best use of the site conditions.”