

Writing, Direction and 3D art: Teom Chen
Chroma Key Filming
Production SameMore
Production Assistant NanNan
Assistant Director Touko Jyo
DP Yong Qiu
Gaffer ZhenBiao Zhou
Stylist CherryGun
Hair Artist Nate-peng
Hair Artist Assistant Bai
Makeup Artist Tingting
Makeup Artist Assistant Jingjing
Stylist Assistant Meganslow
Colorist CY Chiu
Virtual Production
3D Assistant Matt Tzeng
Editor Teom Chen
Colorist Teom Chen
Post Production 既来之
Post Production Teom Chen
Post Production Producer Touko Jyo
Compositing Artist Teom Chen
Agent BeiBei
Overseas Agent Wumen
NCR Market Execution Wang
Manager Rain
NCR Advisor Yanc
Special Thanks to LOFi、Rassul Sotsial、Alina Aitzhanova
Located in Ryogoku, Tokyo, this shared studio and event space serves as our company's home base. Having woven a history as a mixed residential-industrial neighborhood since the early 20th century, the area has been transformed by recent condominium developments, and its historic factories are fading into the shadows. However, as modern cities increasingly become mere spaces for consumption and labor, these manufacturing spaces—though disappearing from the urban core—play a crucial role in helping individuals reclaim their autonomy.
Therefore, by renovating a former small factory space into a studio, we aim to foster a community hub that expands connections with neighboring factories. Our goal is to cultivate an open space for the city—a "WARE-HOUSE" that accumulates and disseminates practical objects and knowledge.
A massive steel fixture, crafted by the building owner, Nakamuranaka Seisakusho, serves a variety of versatile functions depending on the situation, acting as a display unit for exhibitions and pop-ups, or as a screen for meetings. A kitchen and private rooms are located at the back of the space. By opening or closing this steel fixture, the area can be flexibly partitioned off from the front studio or integrated with it into a single, unified space.
Additionally, the ping-pong table in the center of the room is an item originally owned by the landlord. It was incorporated out of a desire for this space to be used like a local public park. On a daily basis, it serves as a workbench or meeting table; during events, it is lined with food and drinks; and occasionally, it functions as a display stand for products. Free from a fixed purpose, this ping-pong table acts as the centerpiece of a space where people and activities intersect.
This project involves the renovation of the second-floor residential section of a mixed-use clinic and residence built in the early 1990s, converting it into a rehabilitation space to serve the first-floor clinic. The interior of the existing home was characterized by decorative design elements, such as elaborate built-in furniture, arched ceilings, and crown molding.
To secure a unified space suitable for rehabilitation, our first step was to remove the partition walls that previously divided the home into smaller rooms, reconfiguring the layout into a spacious, open-plan room with unobstructed visibility. During this process, the existing built-in furniture exposed by the wall removals was left in its original position and remade to suit new functions. The entryway storage was transformed into a reception desk, and the counter between the kitchen and dining area was converted into a hand-washing station. Liberated from the walls, these furniture pieces now act as island-like elements within the room. They gently partition the open space into a "reception area," "mat space," "bed space," and "staff area," while shaping the distinct character of each zone.
To delineate the boundaries of these newly formed zones, we reinterpreted the crown molding and artificial marble wainscoting found in the original residence, applying distinct color finishes to the newly constructed elements in each area. This defines the functional territories while maintaining the continuous flow of the open-plan layout, carrying forward the physical, human scale inherent in the original residential space.
Through these interventions—reinterpreting the surviving furniture and design details of the existing house—we aimed to fulfill the functional requirements of a rehabilitation space while preserving the intimate scale and comforting sense of place that the home originally possessed.
Architectural Design Statement: Loft Access and Systems Upgrade in a Condominium Unit
This renovation project focused on a single condominium unit, primarily addressing the installation of a safe and accessible staircase to the loft and updating the building's mechanical systems. Our core philosophy was to respect and seamlessly extend the client's long-established way of life, resulting in a targeted, partial renovation that only addressed necessary areas.
To optimize the limited living room space, we designed a custom partition incorporating integrated storage for collectibles and records. Crucially, this partition features a pull-out staircase that can be extended only when needed to access the loft. This design allows for flexible space division and connection as life evolves, creating a space that not only functions efficiently but also beautifully reflects the client's accumulated years and memories within their home.
This project involved the conversion of a three-story steel-frame residence into a restaurant. From the earliest stages, we approached the design and construction with an openness to the surrounding urban environment, actively incorporating both the existing context and serendipitous on-site discoveries into the design process.
Our aim was not to achieve a pre-conceived, fixed spatial outcome. Instead, the designers and contractors worked collaboratively on-site, allowing the client and even neighboring residents to engage with the process daily. This enabled us to co-create the nature of the space and the identity of the establishment in a truly collaborative manner. This is a process-driven renovation, with rootedness and relationships as its core design principles.
This project involved designing a prototype for an app-integrated clinic within a compact, roughly 30-square-meter section of a commercial facility directly connected to a train station.
By enabling patients to complete reservations and medical questionnaires entirely through an app, we were able to eliminate the need for a traditional reception desk. This innovative approach allowed us to create a remarkably spacious and relaxed waiting area, even within a minimal footprint. An S-shaped bench, integrated planting, and a thoughtful lighting scheme work in concert to establish a calming environment where patients can feel at ease, even for a short visit.
Our goal was to create an inviting medical space that is open to the city, achieved through an expansive facade, while carefully maintaining patient privacy throughout the design.
This residence was designed for a family of five—parents and children—with the goal of fostering shared spaces and moments while respecting individual daily rhythms.
Instead of the traditional model of isolated rooms lining a hallway, we've created a new paradigm for multigenerational living. Each private room maintains its independence, yet by simply opening a door, it seamlessly connects to the communal areas. This innovative spatial arrangement provides a flexible and adaptable home that supports the diverse family dynamics of today.
Bakurocho, a space in Tokyo, was our base from 2022 to 2024. Rather than defining a purpose first, we created a place and intentionally left its use undetermined, calling it a "work-in-progress" space. Until our company's connection to Tokyo's communities and projects became clear, we used it as a place for organic interaction among our share members and their associates.
The space was gradually constructed and maintained by the share members. While it primarily served as a shared office, we also held irregular events like artist installations, bar nights, and soccer viewings. These events led to the formation of collaborative projects and even a soccer team among the members.
Based on the community and projects that emerged here, we launched **WAREHOUSE**, a studio in Ryogoku that co-creates with Tokyo's manufacturing sites, and relocated our base there.
The site is located in an Urbanization Control Area, separated from the adjacent urban district by a river. The cherry-tree-lined riverbank and the expansive fields surrounding the site are well-loved by local residents as a route for their daily walks.
The existing reinforced concrete (RC) building, constructed in the early 1990s as a combined residence and clinic, featured striking architectural details—such as a symmetrical facade, a 10-meter-high signage tower, and a porch adorned with custom-made tiles—that could easily serve as a local icon. However, it previously maintained a closed-off posture toward its surroundings. In renovating this building into a new clinic, our goal was to rediscover the potential of the existing structure while reorganizing it into a welcoming, open space for the town that resonates with the surrounding landscape and the daily lives of the people.
Specifically, we demolished parts of the existing exterior walls to create new openings at the front and back of the building. This established a clear axis that allows sightlines, wind, and light to pass straight through from the western exterior facing the river, through the waiting area, and out toward the eastern scenery of sunflower fields and passing trains. The exterior features landscaping that seamlessly blends with the surroundings, alongside benches where people can sit while waiting or during a walk. By widening the entrance and setting it back inward, we softened the boundary between the interior and exterior. Furthermore, the walls of the waiting space are gently curved to guide the eye from the entrance toward the idyllic landscape unfolding in the back. Situated along this central axis, the waiting area functionally separates the rehabilitation department to the south from the examination, reception, and treatment departments to the north, while still gently connecting the whole. This creates an open floor plan that allows staff to maintain clear visibility across the entire facility.
In terms of material selection, we sought harmony with the existing structure. We incorporated a wooden ceiling that continues seamlessly from the porch into the interior, steel fixtures with unified detailing and colors both inside and out, tiles where each piece possesses a unique expression, and curtains dyed by extracting colors from the various surrounding materials. These diverse textures help to ease patients' tension and encourage a relaxed atmosphere.
In this way, rather than merely updating its functions, we proposed a new vision for a clinic open to the town by carefully reconnecting the existing building with its surrounding environment.
This pediatric clinic was planned as part of a broader vision by the client—who operates a general hospital—to establish multiple clinics in the vicinity of their existing hospital. The goal is to provide more comprehensive and accessible medical services to the entire community. The envisioned facility is meant to be more than just a place for medical treatment; it aims to be a clinic that prevents the isolation of the elderly and the youth, serving as a vital touchpoint for the local community and essential lifelines.
When aiming to realize such a community-oriented clinic, one might typically look to examples that incorporate cafes or community spaces. However, in urban clinics like this pediatric facility, it is often difficult to secure surplus space once the required medical functions are prioritized. Therefore, we attempted to foster engagement with the community by fundamentally rethinking the conventional elements of a clinic and creatively devising their layout and composition.
The resulting interior design is structured as if another building has been erected inside the room. A space resembling a threshold between the indoors and outdoors expands around a large central roof, fostering an atmosphere that allows visitors to feel a connection to the town. This roof, with its low eaves, creates a calming sense of scale for children who often feel anxious when visiting the doctor. Furthermore, because it is visible from the street, it functions as part of the townscape despite being an interior element. This approach—creating a gradual transition from the town into the clinic—results in an intimate environment that helps alleviate children's tension.
Beneath this roof, in addition to the waiting area and reception, the staff space—typically relegated to the back—is positioned at the front of the building. A circulation route for patients is arranged behind the examination rooms, creating a spatial flow that feels like strolling through a town. At the reception area under the eaves, there is a margin of space where visitors can sit down to casually chat or consult with the staff. We hoped that this arrangement around the staff area would naturally encourage organic dialogue and a culture of care.
This renovation project was designed to be the definitive home for a couple in their sixties. A key request was to create individual private spaces that were as separated as possible. As their daughter and the architect, I drew inspiration from their previous home, specifically how their relationship had unfolded across their garden. I observed how they maintained a comfortable distance while still engaging with one another through this intermediary space, and I sought to translate this nuanced dynamic into the new design.
While ensuring ample and necessary private rooms, we zig-zaggedly extended the existing balcony. This expansion reconfigures it into a "garden-like" space where sightlines and circulation paths can intersect and evolve over time. The aim was to create a home that respects the couple's desired sense of individual space while simultaneously fostering and connecting their relationship.
NEWVIEW, an experimental project and community dedicated to xR (VR/AR/MR) in the fields of fashion, culture, and art, began accepting AR works from the third NEWVIEW AWARDS 2020. To inspire participating artists, it curated a collection of AR works. These projects demonstrated the broad potential of using this new technology by featuring a range of concepts, including content that changes based on user selection, pieces that are site-specific to the physical world, works that incorporate time-based elements like music and dance, and interactive experiences that blend AR with written instructions. The curations were a collaborative effort by four teams from diverse backgrounds in contemporary art and culture.
This project involved the renovation of a single condominium unit. Our core aim was to create an expansive and unconstrained living space, carefully considering both the client's current lifestyle and the potential for future relocation.
Using the existing structural beams as a guide, we gently articulated the space to ensure natural light penetrates deep into the unit. This subtle division maintains a continuous flow of interconnected living areas. The design intentionally incorporates open-ended "whitespace"—areas designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing the meaning and function of each space to evolve with the inhabitant's needs over time.
Selected through an open call by the City of Kyoto—which is promoting the revitalization of the art market and creating an environment for artists to live, create, and exhibit in Kyoto—our company renovated the arts and crafts room and student council room of the former Keihoku Daini Elementary School.
We've started using these spaces as a base for artists (a multi-purpose studio and warehouse). For the studio's grand opening, we held a curtain-making workshop led by printmaker Yuzu Miyauchi.
This project involves the conversion of an existing convenience store into a medical clinic, offering both internal medicine and gynecology services.
The site is situated within an industrial zone, characterized by large-scale factories, warehouses, shopping malls, public housing, and a baseball stadium, each occupying expansive plots. The surrounding landscape presents a monotonous tableau, defined by these facilities, their enclosing fences, and formally arranged plantings. However, there's a noticeable presence of pedestrians and cyclists from nearby schools and residential areas, underscoring the need to create inviting spaces that cater to the community.
Our design approach embraces this existing landscape rather than negating it. We've sought to introduce a human scale by symbolically referencing and incorporating elements like fences and plantings, which are prevalent in the area. These elements, traditionally used to delineate boundaries, are reinterpreted to actively draw people into the site and encourage them to linger.
The existing convenience store building will remain largely untouched, serving primarily as a boundary between interior and exterior. The goal is to create a clinic that doesn't stand as an isolated structure within a vast site, but rather one that seamlessly integrates with the streetscape and the daily lives of residents. We envision a clinic where the experience of passing through the neighborhood naturally transitions into a visit, fostering a sense of connection and accessibility.
This project is an attempt to rediscover the hidden potential of an existing building—a combination of two houses joined with minimal effort—and its surrounding environment. The goal is to renovate it into a multi-functional residence serving as the designer's home, office, shop, and guesthouse. The layout, centered around a staircase, improves the poor ventilation from the original extension. This central circulation path acts as a flexible connection, sometimes linking private and guest spaces, and at other times creating distinct living areas with shoji-like partitions. By pursuing spatial flexibility and incorporating diverse functions within a 120㎡ footprint, this design proposes a versatile residence that supports our rich lifestyle.
This project involves the renovation of a nagaya (traditional row house) situated at the end of an alleyway in central Kyoto, converting it into an in-house operated select shop. As the site does not meet current road-access requirements, it is a non-rebuildable property—a place left behind by the waves of urban development, existing on the periphery of economic rationality. Reached by navigating a narrow alley through a gap between buildings that one might easily overlook, this environment has been insulated from the city's hustle and constant renewal, resulting in its preservation. Taking cues from this unique location, our design distances itself from stereotypical images of Kyoto, envisioning instead a store where multiple contexts intersect—Japan and the world, the past and the future.
First, aside from the insertion of new openings and fixtures, interventions to the existing structure were kept to a minimum. The textures of the earthen walls and aged timber were preserved in their original state or handed down with only partial surface refinishing. Against this existing wooden framework—which embodies the passage of time—we juxtaposed adaptable blue steel frames that also serve as product displays. These were introduced as a new compositional element bridging the boundary between architecture and furniture. While supporting the continuous updating of product layouts, these frames simultaneously function as a structural spine penetrating the entire space.
New openings were created to draw the preserved alleyway environment into the interior. On the first floor, sliding doors were installed facing the northern alley and the city-owned land to the east (formerly a waterway), allowing breezes to flow through spaces where air would otherwise stagnate. On the second floor, large fixed windows were installed to capture sweeping views of the sky and adjacent tiled roofs over the merchandise, integrating the secluded alleyway environment itself into the retail experience.
By rethinking the time accumulated within this space alongside its ever-updating activities, we sought to explore the unique identity of the ever-changing city of Kyoto and the ways in which its heritage can be carried forward.