Moment | APOLLO Architects & Associates

Perched atop a rise on a sloping street within a quiet residential neighborhood, Moment is surrounded by a retaining wall and perimeter enclosure that conceal the interior from the street below, ensuring a high degree of privacy. Past the entrance gate, the architecture transitions sharply from seclusion to openness, revealing a striking glass-clad facade. The home’s expression is minimalist, shaped by the perimeter and the 1.8-meter-deep eaves that extend around the entire structure.

Inside the entrance, lacquerware, woodwork, bonsai, and decorative artworks are arranged to resemble a gallery exhibition. Beyond the glass partition, an expansive double-height living, dining, and kitchen space comes into view. Shielded from views from the street by the perimeter wall, the spacious interior looks out onto both the garden plantings on the south side of the home and the sky through the central void above.

Running along the windows, the living-room staircase serves as a sculptural focal point in itself, while also accentuating the shifting spatial sequence between the floors. A library located on the second floor stair landing displays art books and decorative objects, while a built-in sofa bench transforms the space into an additional living area perfect for relaxing and taking in views of the surroundings. The children’s rooms, which can be combined or divided with movable partitions, open onto a shared cantilevered balcony. The outdoor furniture beneath the broad eaves offers a place to study or read while enjoying the scenery from the raised elevation.

At night, carefully arranged lighting accentuates the walnut ceiling boards on the underside of the roof eaves, further articulating the home’s nuanced richness. A dry garden planted with vintage olive trees and other greenery lines the perimeter of the residence, integrating harmoniously with the modern architecture. Over time, as additional plantings, outdoor furniture, and artwork are gradually introduced, the residence is intended to age gracefully and continue evolving with its inhabitants and their lifestyles.

Credit Information 

Architecture: Satoshi Kurosaki / APOLLO Architects & Associates Co., Ltd. 

Photography: Masao Nishikawa 

Videographer: Seiya Aoki 

Project Outline 

Location: Sakai City, Osaka

Date of completion: 2025. 11 

Principal use: Private housing 

Structure: Timber 

Site area: 534.02 m2 

Scale: 2 storeys above ground 

Building area: 171.03 m2 

Total floor area: 213.62 m2 (131.44 m2 / 1F, 82.18 m2 / 2F) 

Design period: 2021. 2 - 2023. 9 

Construction period: 2023. 9 - 2025. 11 

Structural engineer: Motoi Nomura Structures  (Motoi Nomura)

Facility engineer: Sakamaki Facility Design Office  (Hiroyuki Sakamaki)

Lighting design: Ripple design  (Ken Okamoto)

Construction: Kajikame Corporation