This Futuristic Japanese Building Is Not Your Everyday Tree House
Inspired by the form of trees, an architect breaks the mold of typical, cuboid, multi-level structures.
Text by
Sited in the Northern Tokyo district of Otsuka, the Tree-ness House is a 3,568-square-foot modern building that provides residential housing, along with space for galleries and offices.
Designed by architect Akihisa Hirata, this futuristic structure presents an intelligent and aesthetically engaging way to bring nature into compact urban spaces. Stacked three-dimensionally, the concrete complex includes garden areas and stairs that appear to hang off the building's edges.
Structural engineering: OAK, tmsd
Landscape design: Onshitsu
Other collaborators: Yoko Ando Design and Ikegami
Where to Stay in Tokyo
Michele Koh Morollo
Dwell Contributor
Michele Koh Morollo is a journalist who has been writing about design, lifestyle and travel for the last twenty years.
Published
Get the Pro Newsletter
What’s new in the design world? Stay up to date with our essential dispatches for design professionals.