Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

A Playful Home Inspired by Studio Ghibli’s “My Neighbor Totoro” Blends Indoor/Outdoor Spaces

A Playful Home Inspired by Studio Ghibli’s “My Neighbor Totoro” Blends Indoor/Outdoor Spaces

CplusC Architectural Workshop renovates a Sydney residence to celebrate family togetherness and a connection with the natural world.

Nearly two decades ago, a young couple bought a four-bedroom home on a quiet street in Sydney’s Russell Lea suburb. As their family grew, with the addition of three young children and a dog, the duo decided it was time to transform the existing residence into their forever home. For the recent renovation and expansion, local firm CplusC Architectural Workshop took inspiration from the popular Japanese film My Neighbor Totoro.



"Three decades ago, Studio Ghibli’s animated fantasy My Neighbor Totoro taught us about the importance of relationships-with family, friends, and nature," says architect Clinton Cole, who led the project alongside architect Ryan Ng. "Similarly, the Totoro House concept is heavily inspired by the strong family bond between the clients and their relationship to the landscape."



The Sydney-based firm’s goal for the project was to create an open, warm, and sociable home environment. The communal areas needed to allow the family to interact during simple daily activities. The clients also wanted to achieve a stronger connection between the interior spaces and the rear garden.



With this in mind, the architects removed the boundaries between the kitchen, living, and dining areas, and the walls that previously separated the spaces were reimagined as vertical thresholds. A rear extension-which houses a spacious living area-opens to an outdoor deck.



The CplusC team designed the addition to ensure privacy for the family-and their adjacent neighbors, too. "With the extension mostly hidden from the street, glimpses of the playful space peek out from behind the Federation-era home," explains Ng.



Throughout the updated dwelling, a circular motif facilitates a strong visual connection between the different spaces. A large, round window overlooks the backyard, framing the transition between the structure’s interior and exterior. This approach draws on the traditional Japanese concept of shakkei, in which a background landscape-or "borrowed scenery"-is incorporated into the composition of a garden.



A round window in the principal bedroom also draws from shakkei, offering direct views from the sleeping area into the rear courtyard. Double-layer curtains allow the homeowners to maintain a sense of privacy. The glazed window includes a built-in window seat and a timber hatch that promotes air flow into the room.



"The predominant design consideration of Totoro House is the integration of shakkei," says Ng. "The circular motif is used to strengthen the connectivity between spaces. Every opening acts as a frame that captures different elements of the backyard."



Warm colors create a cozy atmosphere throughout the interior living spaces, while the material palette-spotted-gum hardwood, steel, recycled masonry, and concrete-draws inspiration from midcentury modernism.



The architects were also mindful about waste reduction during the construction process. A semi-circle off-cut in the exterior brass cladding was integrated into the rear wall as a design detail. Recycled bricks were used to build the extension, while stones from the existing home now appear in the backyard garden.



"The project continues to surprise us beyond what we envisioned," Cole says. "We often receive updates from the clients about new and unexpected light features, such as rare reflections and special silhouettes that result from a combination of natural phenomena and design."



A floor plan of Totoro House by CplusC Architectural Workshop.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
×