White Cave House is a two-story building with a total floor area of 172sqm that serves a family of three: a married couple and their child. Its pure and bright appearance irradiates serenity, while following a clear principle of privacy as the monolithic white volume’s facade is interrupted by a huge opening that serves as the parking space. Continue reading →

A patio house usually offers privacy and intimacy. Sky Catcher House in Atsugi, Japan shows how to achieve such a delicate task. Windowless facades reaffirm the need for privacy as well as the lattice sliding front door: a covered parking area is placed separately from the main building, connected by a trail of concrete slabs. Once inside this two-story 105sqm house, an open courtyard bordered by living spaces and enclosed with floor-to-ceiling glass windows welcomes inhabitants. Continue reading →

An earthquake proof home rests over an artificial hill that substituted a two level site with a retaining wall. A couple and their two children are now sheltered inside a two-story building with a total floor area of 119sqm. The house seems to quietly float over the gentle slope while providing the perfect spot for panoramic views over Ikoma City, Japan. In fact, the cantilevered front end of the pitched volume forms the shelter for an entrance porch, leading to the staircase and up into the house. Continue reading →

A curved grey canopy and a series of slender columns mark the front facade of House in Naruto, a family residence located in Tokushima, Japan. In order to prevent the constant menace of flash floods, this single-story building was raised off the ground on concrete foundations. The sculptural porch that distinguishes this small home from the surrounding buildings serves as the contact area between the street and the front door. Continue reading →

In a high-density city like Tokyo, Japan, small sites are common and tend to defy conventional living spaces. “A life with large opening” is a curious name for a house… However, this small 50sqm home is actually three-story high, and as you can see its name fits perfectly as two vertical volumes are separated by a narrow gap that functions as the access point from the street into the house. Continue reading →

In Nagano, Japan there’s a small building with a quiet presence as it seems to be born out of the grassy ground. This two-story volume with a total floor area of 146sqm sits on a soft southern slope, facing streets on the north and east facades and surrounded by a dense curtain of pine trees on the remaining elevations. The entrance area follows the natural topography of the site: a mineral path leads to the front door where one can experience the symbiotic relation between nature and architecture. Continue reading →

When architecture wisely imitates nature, the outcome is always surprising and original. In Hiroshima, Japan + Node testifies the achievement of such a challenging task: connecting a human-made structure with a magnificent natural hill amongst wild plants and forest animals… A two-story building with a total floor area of 125sqm stands gently positioned on a slope without disturbing the tall trees that compose the surrounding landscape. The conceptual approach follows a simple guideline: two wooden volumes are crossed – one upon the other – taking advantage of the natural topography. Continue reading →

House in Keyaki is a wonderful example of how small houses can appear larger, by transforming 55sqm of constructed area into a remarkable space for living. In Tokyo, Japan a three-story building stands proudly erected in a dense residential area showing that a small-scaled volume isn’t an issue at all. In fact, the program inside this tiny house demonstrates the power of simplicity in architecture, turning the conventional definition of less into more. Continue reading →

A perforated concrete volume assumes a significant presence in Yokohama, Japan. NDA Planter is a three-story house located at the top of a hill with a total floor area of 188sqm. The abstract silhouette of this building captures all the attention for its unusual use of multi-tonal concrete facade: a rusty image for a residential program combined with plant-filled terraces. Continue reading →

Have you heard about the Miura Peninsula? In Kanagawa, Japan there’s a peninsula that functions as a bed town to those who work in Tokyo, being also popular as a touristic destination for visitors from all over Japan. Nowhere But Sajima is an extremely unique weekend coastal home – a part of the Nowhere Resort located on the harbor of a small fishing village. A three-story volume with a building area of 64sqm presents a curious triangular plan full of spatial surprises… Continue reading →