Articles by Miwa Negoro

P Home is a mixed-use architecture and interior design project in Bangkok that combines rental offices, a private office, and a residence on a compact 400 sqm plot. The client’s brief was straightforward: ground-level parking with separate entrances for offices and the home; offices on the second floor and mezzanine; and residential spaces on the third floor and upper mezzanine. The residence includes a music rehearsal room and fitness area, without additional specialized functions.

Villa Familia is a tropical biophilic getaway in a gated Parsi neighborhood in Lonavala, India. The family’s brief was to create a generational home nurturing togetherness, balancing intimacy with openness. The home has a dual personality, externally a modern architectural figurine punctuated with greens, while internally adorned with ancestral Parsi heirlooms. The house seeks a dialogue between landscape and built form, wherein the verandahs and balconies become pivotal transient spaces in the tropics. Unlike a monolith, the home unfolds as three distinct masses, woven by delicate passages. These passages are not merely corridors but breathing voids, bringing in light and air, framing picture-perfect views of immediate greens.

In many parts of the world, remoteness is not only defined by distance. It may describe a mountain settlement far from infrastructure or an urban and suburban neighborhood on the margins of visibility and opportunity. Across these diverse contexts, the library has been one of the most vital typologies—a space where architecture embodies the modes of accessibility, inclusivity, and community care.

Balkash is a small rural village of approximately 200 families located in the northern city limits of Surat. The village settlement originates around a lake, with two linear streets lined by rows of traditional pitched-roof tropical houses leading to the surrounding farmlands. Proximity to the sea and a high groundwater table allow for the cultivation of crops such as sugarcane, paddy, and coconut plantations. The people here lead an austere life with simplistic ideals and an affinity to nature.

Introducing the Torquay Garden House by Lifespaces Group, the Geelong builder creates limited edition designs from Australia’s top architects. Located on Victoria’s Surf Coast, this project is from the eponymous Auhaus Release by Melbourne studio, Auhaus Architecture. The Torquay Garden House features a striking façade of copper, brick, and timber, creating a dynamic presence in its coastal streetscape. Over time, the copper will develop a natural patina, shifting from rich brown to weathered blue and eventually green. This beautiful transformation occurs in response to the natural elements, preserving the metal underneath.

This is a renovation project for a kindergarten located in Nansha District, Guangzhou, China. The site covers over 16,000 square meters and features a one-story building with plenty of natural light and a spacious garden. Originally planned as a communal commercial facility for a residential complex, the building has been renovated to include 12 classrooms, an atelier, special classrooms, a library, a hall, a lounge, and a dining area.

The 3×30 introverted house is a private house based on a long and narrow lot, located in a high-density residential area in Vung Tau City, Vietnam. The house faces the southwest on the traffic road. With the need of the homeowner to create a simple form of the building, playing the role of a private area in contrast to the stormy urban life. Ensuring quiet, comfort, and privacy in the dense urban fabric. On the other hand, adapting to the humid tropical climate of the area.

DJ Residence is situated on a picturesque hilly land, beautifully dominated by clusters of oak trees. It was strategically embedded in the open spaces between the trees, resulting in a captivating arrangement of indoor and outdoor spaces. The oak trees, present at various levels in the beautifully landscaped garden, serve as gentle anchors for the suspended mass.

A striking residential project has emerged on a challenging waterfront site, seamlessly blending medieval architectural principles with contemporary design. Dubbed “Corbel House,” by designers Nick Bell Architects, this innovative family home maximizes spatial efficiency while harmonizing with its natural surroundings. 

Design firm Studio Nutto has renovated a 70s house in Pattaya, Thailand, transforming it into a Japanese bar hidden within the sushi restaurant’s backyard garden. Before embarking on this project, the owner ran Ronin Restaurant, a traditional Japanese eatery, that has been open for seven years. Ronin is known for its authentic Japanese decor, featuring traditional Japanese wood material (yakisugi). Behind the restaurant, there is a 70-year-old house with a garden area that has backyard space adjacent to the restaurant’s backyard. The owner envisioned turning this old house into an interesting space for customers to continue their activities after dining. Thus, he purchased the house and renovated it into “Ronin Bar.” Uniquely, the bar’s entrance is connected to the restaurant’s backyard garden, making it accessible only through this hidden garden pathway.