Torafu Architects used basic 2x4 planks of red cedar to make the AA Stools, cutting them at an angle to form trestle-like structures.

Each narrow stool can be paired with another to make a wider seat, or joined in sequence to make a bench of any length.

The stools also pack flat for storage and transportation.

They were made in collaboration with Ishinomaki Laboratory, a community centre established by designers in the wake of the 2011 tsunami.

An auto repair shop in Tokyo, a concrete house designed for a resident in a wheelchair and a shelf with a secret drawer that opens with magnets are among the other projects by the architects we've featured – see all our stories about Torafu Architects.

Other stools we've featured on Dezeen lately include a three-legged design inspired by a Russian satellite and one with interlocking legs like a puzzle.

See all our stories about stools »
See all our stories about furniture »

Photographs are by Fuminari Yoshitsugu.

Here's some more information from Torafu:

AA Stool

Following "skydeck", this product is the second item made in collaboration with Ishinomaki Laboratory, which is ‘a place of creating something new’ for the community, established by designers and others in Ishinomaki City of Miyagi Prefecture.

AA Stool is a simple stool made of 2×4 wood modules where the legs are cut at a slightly diagonal angle at both ends. Combining these leg pieces together allows the stool to stand, and at the same time provides support for the seat of the stool.

 A set is composed of two stools, which can be integrated together into one unit. It can be separated into individual stools as required for visitors' use or for within small spaces.

Stacking and lining up the stools lets the seat gradually become wider, yet it remains as compact as it can possibly be.

 At a height of 560mm, the seat is a little higher than usual chairs, which allows for a comfortable upright sitting position. It is also convenient for those who work sitting on a stool. 

From the side, the stool looks like the letter ‘A’. Whether you are stacking or separating the stools, you can find a new use each time as your imagination lets you.

Principle use: PRODUCT
Manufacturer: Ishinomaki laboratory
Material: Canadian red cedar
Size: W280xD410 (320 for each separated stool) x H560
Design period: 2012.09-10
Production period: 2012.09-10

The post AA Stools by
Torafu Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Type One, located in the Ogikubo area of Tokyo, was designed by Torafu Architects to function as a display area as well as a body shop. "We designed [it to] look like a showroom in order to welcome clients who visit here to repair their car," they told Dezeen.

The skylights have been tidily boxed in with aluminium panels, which reflect more natural light into the shop, while strip lights travel down the ceiling in two narrow lines.

The walls are covered in cement-bonded wood strips, which feel rough to the touch and add to the utilitarian aesthetic. A new partition wall has also been added to conceal a storage space.

The two-post car lifts are painted grey to blend in with the muted tones of the walls and ceiling and to set off the colours of the cars.

The architects also designed grey push carts and trolleys so that mechanics can easily store and move their parts and tools.

"We treated these new elements as equal to the elements that were originally present, by adopting these material and expressive items that are both essential and emblematic to a repair shop," the architects told Dezeen.

We've featured lots of projects by Torafu Architects on Dezeen, including a concrete house for a wheelchair user and a desk that looks like a doll's house.

See all our stories about Torafu Architects »
See all our stories from Japan »

Photographs are by Takumi Ota.

Here's some more information from the architects:

Speedshop Type One

We designed the renovation of a body shop specialising in Honda vehicles that would function as a repair shop as well as a display floor for visitors. The design calls for maximising the working area by thoroughly sorting out essential and non-essential elements with a focus on servicing functionality.

As elements of the interior design plan, we adopted material and expressive items that are both essential and emblematic to a repair shop, such as gray two-post car lifts, aluminum fittings and tool wagons. Care was given to treat elements that were originally present the same way as new ones, such as the aluminum canopy hanging from the top lights, push carts and the rough-feeling cemented excelsior board walls.

The design highlights the vehicles on display in the repair shop by using desaturated colors and common materials to adjust the tone of the space where the old blends with the new.

The picture of a shop with cars on lifts, exposed engines and tools is aimed at creating a functional yet slick-looking space that can serve as a promotional area.

Principle use: Vehicle repair shop / factory
Production: Ishimaru / Sanraku
Building site: Ogikubo, Tokyo
Total floor area: 458.98 sq m
Design period: 2012.07-09
Construction period: 2012.09-10

The post Speedshop Type One
by Torafu Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Both a lift and staircase connect the ground floor with the central living room and kitchen on the floor above, where worktops are set at a reduced height.

Smaller rooms surround this living/dining room on every side and feature sloping ceilings that don't all correspond with the shape of the roof outside.

A large square aperture reveals the location of a courtyard along one side of the house, with openings that let natural light into the rooms beyond and below.

Other recent projects by Torafu Architects include a shelf with a secret drawer and a skincare shop with stained wooden surfaces that look like marble.

See all our stories about Torafu Architects »

See more Japanese houses on Dezeen »

Photography is by Daici Ano.

Here's a project description from Torafu Architects:

House in Kitaoji

Located in a quiet housing estate in Kyoto, this house was designed with a hard concrete outer shell in order to protect the client need for privacy from the outside, as well as for accessibility in a wheelchair-bound lifestyle.

Firstly, to protect the privacy of the family, we built walls along the site boundary to elevate the main living space, which is maximised on the 2nd floor.

We designed a large central space with individual rooms, wet areas and circulation and other utility spaces surrounding it, to ensure a distance is kept well from the outside.

This compact formation also eliminated the need for passageways in this house.

In contrast with the outer wall of this building, we used various kinds of furniture at the central space as partitions to softly separate the internal areas.

Avoiding windows along the road, we located spaces with open ceilings and a terrace inside the building for light and ventilation.

This way, the occupants can feel the outside anywhere from within this central space.

Considering the environment of the site resulted in a building with a gabled form.

We folded the roofs of the small rooms around the central space into the yard to achieve a funnel shaped cross section, which allows light to enter easily into centre of the house.

We also individualised the rooms by giving each a different ceiling height.

Although unseen from the outside, within the spaces of these different rooms under this big roof, a bright and open space was made possible.

Principle use: House
Facility design: Daiko(Lightings)
Structural design: Takashi Manda Structural Design
Production: Kyoto kensetsu

Above: ground floor plan

Building site: Kyoto
Site area: 139.39m2
Total floor area: 133.93m2

Above: first floor plan

Number of stories: 2F
Structure: RC

Above: section A-A

Design period: 2010.07-2011.10
Construction period: 2011.11-2012.08

Above: section B-B

The post House in Kitaoji
by Torafu Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

The Clopen shelf comprises ash veneer over an aluminium frame and drawer mechanism, creating a 23mm-deep hiding place.

It's in production with Japanese firm Tanseisha.

In the past Torafu Architects have designed a desk for hiding away in and a shelf that thinks it's a bowl.

See all our stories about Torafu Architects »

Photos are by Yosuke Owashi.

Here's some more information from Torafu Architects:

Clopen

This shelf panel is constructed from elaborate aluminum parts, and at 34mm thick, it looks as if it's made of natural wood. Attaching sliced veneer to a thin structure, we made space between two boards which can be opened using magnetic keys.

When pulled, a secret 23mm thick drawer appears, it is of minimal thickness to store your valuables such as stamps and passbooks.

The impression of the shelf completely changes when its hidden aluminum space is revealed from within the sliced veneer surface.

Principle use: Shelf
Manufacturer: TANSEISHA Co, Ltd.
Material: Aluminium／Board of Japanese Ash／Magnet
Size: W900 x D150 x H34
Design period: 2012.04-06
Production period:: 2012.06-07

The post Clopen by Torafu
Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

A muted brown stain coats the wooden walls and countertops and bottles sit within recessed shelves and openings.

Two island counters accomodate hidden drawers and cupboards, sinks and a cash register.

Other Aesop stores we've published include a shop filled with translucent boxes on stilts and a kiosk made from newspapers.

See all our stories about Aesop »

See all our stories about Torafu Architects »

Photography is by Takumi Ota.

Here's some more information from Torafu Architects:

Aesop Shin-Marunouchi - Torafu Architects

For Aesop, an Australian skincare brand celebrating its 25th year anniversary this year, we proposed an interior fit-out located in the Shin-Marunouchi Building. Concurrent to this, we also designed Aesop Yokohama Bay Quarter, which opened at the same time.

Aesop's skincare products emphasise on maintenance to restore the skin’s natural health, and in a similar way we had chosen a key material that reflects this idea for the two stores. OSB (Oriented Strand Board) is a wood which has characteristic textures and patterns, and of which are accentuated are accentuated once sanded and stained in different ways. While associated as a rough material typically used in construction, as it is stained the wood adopts a stone-like appearance. The result is a distinct materiality which be felt throughout the store space.

At Aesop Shin-Marunouchi, the OSB has been stained with a brown colour to distinguish the store with its neighbours within the bright surrounding environment. The central band of display seen stretched across the back wall binds the store space to a single point of focus, naturally drawing customers towards the products.

In the foreground of the shops are stand-alone functional counters that allow the corner shop space to be freely circulated. Small stores require an efficient use of space, so the activities essential to the shop’s operation have been carefully considered and housed into the ‘floating’ boxes to assist in operational processes. We thought about how the volumes of these counters can be opened at various parts when required, and eventually closed back into a simple box.

Even located within a large commercial building, we have focused on how we can clearly reflect Aesop’s brand image into these stores.

Principle use: shop
Production: Ishimaru
Credit: Graphic design: Aesop
Building site: Shin-Marunouchi Building, Marunouchi, Tokyo Total floor area: 22.53m2
Design period: 2012.02-2012.06
Construction period: 2012.06

The post Aesop Shin-Marunouchi
by Torafu Architects appeared first on Dezeen.