Roji / Nadamoto Yukiko Architects

Architects: Nadamoto Yukiko Architects
Location: Yoichi, Japan
Architect In Charge: Yukiko Nadamoto
Photographs: Seiya Miyamoto

“Roji” is a cafe and residence for a young couple in Yoichi, a small seaside town in Hokkaido, Japan.

Roji means “alley” in Japanese.  In the Roji project, there is a narrow alley-like passage at the center of the building, and this indoor alley connects the private living space and the cafe, functioning as a main thoroughfare.

Situated in a quiet residential area of the town, the cafe does not require eye-catching signage or exterior decoration.  The chimney of the coffee roaster is the only sign that shows this is a cafe.

We chose coffee brown as the base color for the cafe’s interior so that white of the coffee cups would stand out.  On the other hand, white is used throughout the private space.

Rooms and open areas are irregularly shaped in order to maximize the utilization of space.  This irregularity in the floor plan enables the interior to be attractively sunlit from a variety of angles.