Articles by Thuto Vilakazi

This is a housing construction project for a family of four in a densely populated residential area in the center of Tokyo. The client desired a spacious living environment on this site, taking into consideration the site’s topography with elevation differences, small lot size, and shading regulations, aiming for a space that feels more expansive.

“I like your messy design” said the client when he first met us. Another point is the house can be used for congregational prayer with big families which can be up to dozens of members at one time or just religious recitations with neighbors. The feel of a natural villa with a joglo roof, and trying to apply Islamic values ​​in everyday life. As the name suggests, distractions are literally things or actions that distract. This house has been distracted because of one action of rotating one of the rooms so that it can face towards the qiblah – a design action that is our solution to the needs of the residents, worship religious activities together with a big family that can reach a lot of people.  As a result of our actions, the character of the space that is obtained as well as the new character of the building form, although the basic idea is from the roof of a traditional joglo house (a vernacular house roof originating from a region in Indonesia).