PANDA's Asakusa Apartments feature rows of "picture frame" windows
Rows of rectangular windows are designed to frame rooms like an "advertisement board for well-designed living" on the facade of this apartment block in Tokyo by local studio PANDA (+ slideshow).
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_3.jpg)
Located in Japan's Asakusa district, the two-storey apartment block was designed by PANDA to create a home for an elderly couple to spend their final years together and provide a second apartment for rent.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_4.jpg)
Large black-framed windows create four rows across the bright white facade, allowing natural light to flood through the two apartments.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_5.jpg)
"It seems as if the facade becomes a picture frame in which lives inside the building emerge like vivid motifs of a painting, against the background of monotonous commercial buildings," said the architect.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_9.jpg)
The apartments are stacked vertically and each have two floors of living space. Internal staircases are positioned at the front, creating double-height spaces behind the facade.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_6.jpg)
"Seen from the frontal road, the enclosed boxes containing different functions are visible through the open curtain wall," the architect explained.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_7.jpg)
An entrance on the ground floor leads through to both apartments. The first accommodates living spaces, a bathroom and a bedroom on one floor, with two separate staircases leading up to a mezzanine loft and a storage area.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_15.jpg)
Wooden floors are spread throughout the apartment, while other surfaces are finished in white to match the exterior of the block.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_16.jpg)
The upstairs apartment features a similar layout and finish but has a smaller upper level, creating a roof terrace that can be accessed from both homes.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_18.jpg)
Photography is by Koichi Torimura.
Here's some more text from PANDA:
Asakusa Apartments, Tokyo, Japan
This is an apartment building in a commercial area in the historical town district of Asakusa, Tokyo. Our clients, a couple in their 60's, requested us to design their "final home" to enjoy the rest of their lives happily and comfortably, with attached rental housing units to secure a regular income after retirement. The site is placed adjacent to a park across the frontal road on the south side, while being surrounded by tall commercial buildings on three sides.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_11.jpg)
After reviewing the balance between construction cost and rental income, we decided to allocate some portion of their property for rental car parking for a steady income and use the rest to construct a building comprised of the client's home and a rental apartment unit.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_13.jpg)
The building is a two-story wooden construction and our challenge is to build a wooden "curtain wall" facade, which would be atypical of regular wooden construction. It is because we intend to achieve the following purposes; one is to open up the facade to integrate the beautiful view of the park into the interior space, and another is that the facade is expected to act as a sort of "advertisement board" to promote a well-designed living environment of the apartment.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_17.jpg)
The building is comprised of two duplex housing units stacked vertically. Plans on 1F and 2F are flipped horizontally, except for a fixed position of the bathroom, toilet and stairs in the back, in order to locate lofts, in-floor storage and balconies effectively. Bearing walls on the front side are located between the stairs to the loft space and the bedroom, which are placed symmetrically in section.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_1.jpg)
Seen from the frontal road, the enclosed boxes containing different functions are visible through the open curtain wall. It seems as if the facade becomes a picture frame in which lives inside the building emerge like vivid motifs of a painting, against the background of monotonous commercial buildings.
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_2.jpg)
Architect in charge: Kozo Yamamoto
Structural engineer: a・s・t atelier
Contractor: B・L home
Structure: two-storey wooden
Total floor area: 94.62 sqm
Building area: 87.71 sqm
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_19.gif)
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_20.gif)
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_21.gif)
![Asakusa Apartments by PANDA in Tokyo](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/04/Asakusa-Apartment-by-PANDA_dezeen_22.gif)