Built in a dense residential area of Tokyo, the studio is in close proximity to neighboring houses on three sides, opening onto to a private alley on the west facade. No scenic views could be expected from this site, and provisions to control privacy and noise were essential. The clients, both singers, required a living room that could double as a small performance space. The configuration of the house was determined by the shape of the site and resolved in a square, 11 meters long on each side. This volume is divided on the diagonal into two triangular spaces corresponding to the inside and outside of the houses. Along the diagonal is a self-standing circular core housing the bathroom and a square core containing private rooms. The interior is further subdivided into two equal triangles to reduce a rwo-level space and a double height hall topped with a waffle-patterned ceiling pocked with skylight.