Yokohama Aoba
Yokohama Aoba is a house designed to bring nature back into urban living. The home stands on a pentagonal plot and is arranged around a central courtyard that connects all rooms and opens the interior to the sky. Two stairways begin at the entrance, and the rooms fan out around the courtyard, while a narrow passage links the wings at the rear. The circulation forms a continuous double loop, so each room has its own route and residents can move without crossing paths. Natural light and air flow through the house, reducing energy use.
Yokohama Aoba Housing by Kei Tamai was identified as an innovative illustration of architectural design by the A' Design Awards. Yokohama Aoba Housing received the Silver A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design in 2025. The A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award is a highly prestigious international design recognition program which recognizes excellent design of skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions, religious structures, infrastructure designs, landscaping projects and more.
