Apartments in Odai is a minimal apartment located in Tokyo, Japan, designed by Buttondesign. The renovation seamlessly connects various living spaces while embracing an open garden, allowing both human and canine occupants to coexist harmoniously. The entire floor, from the entrance to the dining room and onward to the garden, is adorned with the same tiles, creating a unified, earthy atmosphere that blurs the lines between indoors and outdoors. Adjacent to the dining area lies a small tatami room, separated by a delicate shoji screen. This versatile space serves as a living room by day and transforms into a cozy bedroom by night, where futons are laid out for slumber.

The clever layout ensures that the family’s canine member has its designated play area on the tiled floor, while the bedroom remains discreetly separated by the tatami room. The essence of this transformation is rooted in a return to the fundamentals of living. Collaborating closely with the clients, the architects decided to embrace a lifestyle reminiscent of traditional Japanese homes, devoid of defined bedrooms. This departure from convention enabled the creation of a multifunctional space, where storage, bicycle maintenance, and a future child’s room coexist seamlessly at the entrance. The architects didn’t stop at reshaping the interior; they aimed to expand the connection between the garden and the living space.

A slightly elevated bench now serves as a dual-purpose drying rack and a bridge between indoors and outdoors. This innovative solution eliminates the typical sight of laundry hanging outside the window, allowing occupants to enjoy scenic views while indoors. The design approach emphasizes the absence of enclosed private rooms. Instead, subtle delineations are established through variations in floor height, material transitions, the intricate lattice of shoji screens, and the introduction of steel pillars and duckboards. This meticulous attention to detail enhances not only the aesthetic appeal but also the strength and versatility of the living space.