Vegetables and flowers are grown in a rooftop area adjacent to the solar panels. Enough electricity is generated by the panels to power the pump several hours per day to circulate the water in the pond; any excess electricity is then sold.
View looking in on the Satōs’ apartment from the north terrace. Large windows on the north and south of the residence allow breezes to flow past the kitchen. Carved wooden panels from the property owner’s old house were reused in the light fixtures—one example of the merging of modern and traditional elements.
The wisteria tree planted when residents first moved in now stretches up to the third floor, providing a curtain of greenery.
Herbs grown on the terrace decorate the dining table.
On fine days Satō Ryōichi and his wife Sachiko enjoy the bliss of meals on the terrace.