The sales space for Kenzo Parfums, the French perfume and cosmetics brand located in the department store Printemps in Paris, France was designed by Nendo. The design also implemented in 250 shops in 80 countries worldwide. As a brand that is French but has its roots in Japan, and is known for its particularly refined yet warm style, Kenzo’s image is one of dualities.

The choice to use different materials -steel coated with glossy white paint on the outside, and dark wood on the inside- emphasizes the concept by creating a …

This small and nice residential design in Australia is inspired by practicality, with a twist. Sitting atop a small footprint, the modern Szirtes House, created by Chenchow Little Architects, is enclosed in an aesthetic armor that provides privacy from the outside. But at its heart lies a haven – a tree within an enclosed outdoor courtyard – which is the centerpiece of this contemporary home’s ultra-innovative layout. Floor-to-ceilings sliding-glass doors open onto this inner sanctum. Inside, each room offers a piece of this curious light-filled box, which beams through the …

Designed by Japan’s Torafu Architects, this massive modern structure of concrete boasts a hard exterior edge, which is accentuated by sharp angles and little detail. But on the inside, this home tells quite a different tale. This one-storey house, in the hilltop suburb of Kohoku, is made of cast concrete and located in Yokohama, Japan, this modern single-family, single-storey house has become a local landmark among its more traditional neighbors.
It’s characterized by its unusual shape, which features three projections, pointing upward and topped by skylights. Interiors are unexpectedly sleek …

Architect: Kiyonobu Nakagame Architect and Associates
Structural Engineer: Shuji Tada
Photographs: NAKAGAME Atelier
Phase: Construction Document
Structure: Wood structure, 2 stories

Description from the Architect:
The site is situated within a residential district on hilly landscape, quite prevalent townscape in Yokohama city. Located 1m below the confronting street, there is a flatland that occupies two-thirds of the site and the rest is the sloped land descending down to the playground of an adjacent kindergarten.

An approach to the house draws a clockwise trajectory. Walking through the parking that acts as an approach beside the house, one will …

Architect: Kiyonobu Nakagame Architect and Associates
Structural Engineer: Kozo Sekkei Kobo
Contractor: Nakagame Construction
Photographs:Takeshi Taira
Site Area: 281.34m2
Building Area: 84.61m2
Project Starts: October 1998
Project Completed: December 1999
Structure: Reinforced Concrete, 3 stories and 1 basement
Description
The site sits on top of the hill consisted of mixture of old and new residential neighborhood. From the site one will find the rows of cherry trees planted in the adjacent school on the north east side.
Our design approach was to establish the relationship between the house and the surrounding greeneries which becomes valuable elements especially in the contemporary urbanized …