Neut by Apollo Architects & Associates
This house in Tokyo by Apollo Architects & Associates has skylights in the roof and holes in the floor plates, allowing daylight to reach right down to the basement (+ slideshow).
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_3sq.jpg)
Named Neut, the house was designed for a pair of music-lovers, so Apollo Architects & Associates was asked to add a studio with soundproofed concrete walls in the basement of the three-storey structure.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_2.jpg)
The studio opens out to a glazed triple-height courtyard, which benefits from the light filtering in from above.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_4.jpg)
A second courtyard is located on the opposite side of the house on the ground floor. This space also sits below a skylight, although it is interrupted by a latticed deck on the uppermost floor.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_1sq.jpg)
All bedrooms are positioned on the ground floor, while a living room and bathroom occupy the top floor. All of these rooms face down onto the courtyards through floor-to-ceiling windows.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_6.jpg)
Interior surfaces are finished in a mixture of raw concrete, white plaster and timber panels. Meanwhile, the facade is dominated by timber louvres, which enclose a cantilevered balcony at the edge of the living room.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_7.jpg)
Tokyo-based Apollo Architects & Associates is led by Satoshi Kurosaki. The studio also recently completed Still, a concrete house for a surgeon, and Flag, a narrow house with a glazed ground-floor gallery.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_5.jpg)
See more architecture by Apollo Architects & Associates »
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_12.jpg)
Photography is by Masao Nishikawa.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_22.jpg)
Here's a project description from Apollo Architects & Associates:
Neut, Suginami ward, Tokyo
The ophthalmologist couple purchased this narrow, but deep, parcel of land in a quiet neighborhood to build a house where they could enjoy their hobby of listening to the music.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_11.jpg)
On the basement level, the courtyard and double-pane glazing provide sound-buffer for this RC-structure studio which is insulated on the exterior.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_10.jpg)
Natural light enters the studio through the courtyard and makes the space exceptionally inhabitable as a basement.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_13.jpg)
The balcony extends from the building and acts as the canopy over the garage with pilotis and entrance.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_14.jpg)
The horizontal wooden slats are used as balcony balustrade to block the view from the street while allowing the air to breeze through.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_15.jpg)
The randomly sized wooden pieces give the facade distinctive appearance. The ground floor contains private rooms such as master bedroom and children's bedrooms.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_16.jpg)
The second floor, on the other hand, is intended as family room. The generously-sized gabled-roof space has two courtyards which accentuate the floor plan with their curves.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_17.jpg)
Through the clerestory windows, the outside scenery and natural light enter the space.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_18.jpg)
The wet area is separated from the living room by the tiled wall with its upper part glazed. The same wooden panel of the living room ceiling is used in the wet area to create the appearance of a continuous space.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_19.jpg)
When viewed from inside, the horizontal wooden louver also accentuates the interior space while securing the privacy.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_21.jpg)
By using only the simple finishing material on the interior, the space has the austere and coordinated feel.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_25.jpg)
Furthermore, the combination of concrete and wood, as well as the gabled roof motif add warmth to the room's ambience.
![NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates NEUT by Apollo Architects & Associates](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/04/Dezeen_NEUT-by-Apollo-Architects-Associates_24.jpg)
This design technique allows the occupants to forget that they are in a dense residential district. It is one of the most popular solutions in the urban setting.