The collaboration with AXOR began in 2013 with the AXOR WaterDream project, in which Sato presented his vision for the perfect shower—an especially ambitious concept: a shower with atmospheric lighting, a lamp with a sophisticated water design, and a luxury product that gives the shower a warm, homey feel.
Thus, the AXOR LampShower was born—a dream that merges a living room lamp with water. A "signature piece" in the bathroom, and a milestone in shower design: no longer a technical fixture on the ceiling, but an object that blurs the boundary between the bathroom and living areas, turning the shower into a design element that defines the space.

In this context, Oki Sato participated with the Stairway House project in Tokyo—a multi-generational home arranged around a single dynamic staircase that connects the house to the garden and gives the space "character, meaning, and soul," rather than just optimizing square footage. He himself describes the stairs as an element meant "to serve functions and not just be an object," to the point that the structure also incorporates wet areas and storage.

And when it comes to the bathroom, the choices in this project sit exactly on Nendo’s principle: minimalism with a twist and material precision. For the wet areas in the house, AXOR products in a Brushed Black Chrome finish were chosen, with AXOR Uno for the sink faucets, and AXOR Citterio M and AXOR Citterio E for the bath and shower area—a combination that highlights how easily a clean aesthetic can feel both quiet and luxurious, when every detail is "right" for the space.