Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

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.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×