useful + agreeable house by Atelier Tekuto is available exclusively through useful + agreeable (www.ua.tv).

useful + agreeable (u+a) is a multimedia company that specializes in travel and design. Their purpose is to “present a useful + agreeable world.” As part of their quest, they have recently paired up with Japanese architect Atelier Tekuto to bring answers to a greening world. Tekuto’s expertise in urban design creates a tranquil haven in a lively setting.

An important concept of green architecture is developing a dense population. Urban sprawl is the current practice, where huge tracks of land are developed into large neighborhoods. Not only does this practice diminish our natural surroundings, but it requires longer road trips to work, and to the market, and to the gas station, and to everywhere else. The challenge, then, is to create a peaceful and private home in a population dense city, preserving the lifestyle of urban sprawl while putting us in walking distance to our favorite stores.

Tekuto’s brilliance comes from his experience in land-scarce Japan, where they’re used to coming up with small solutions to big problems. In this case, his masterful design offers indoor and outdoor space all within a private shell. Notice the concrete walls beyond the glass and how the exposed windows are all second story. This open feeling of privacy is an exciting sense of serenity. It’s a lot like skinny-dipping when no one is around. Urban sprawl is a direct result of our desired lifestyle. useful + agreeable has brought that lifestyle to the city, where we can walk and let the trees grow.

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