Design

This m odern prefab house is a three-story residential home in the Sumida area in Tokyo, Japan. It was built for a young couple in their mid 20’s who purchased a very narrow and deep plot facing the back of a forested park. Featuring a “tube” like form, this small house is constructed of steel with a compact living space of 27 sq. meters (approx. 3mW x 9mD). Although the house is quite narrow it does not feel crowded. Light pours down from skylights placed on the top floor through the stairs, and from the floor-to-ceiling glass facade, creating an impression of spaciousness. The overall feel of the house is contemporary, featuring white washed walls, large glass openings overlooking the nearby park, lots of natural light – all combined with metal, wood and glass elements. This house has been featured in Michelle Galindo’s book Contemporary Prefab Houses * More info at Apollo Architects

The population density in Tokyo is one of the highest in the world, so you can imagine how precious a site area of 82 sq. meters can be in this city. The architects of this small house were looking to utilize its space to its fullest. The house has a total floor space of 115 sq. meters, featuring two floors and an above ground basement. It is located in Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan. When you are dealing with compact spaces, it is often recommended to play with different floor levels in order to maximiaze your space while creating separate areas, public and private. In this house, a raised wooden platform is used for the main living room while a couple of stairs down are the kitchen and dining area. The open gallery on the second floor makes the total space seem larger, drawing one’s eye to the pitched roof. * All images courtesy of Vassallo Plan Architects

Here’s an interesting concept for keeping your outdoor garden private. Situated in a residential area in Kodaira-shi, Tokyo, this small house (approx. 93 sq. meters) features a unique garden space at the front of the house. A space that separates the private building from the street. Most people, who have a garden area at the front of their houses, usually build up a fence or maybe a tall hedge to keep it private. In this case, the architect planned a semi-private garden, which could gradually connect the outside and inside spaces – a tent structure which serves as a partition to separate the areas. The tent covers the garden as if it was a roof, a wall and a fence, while sliding doors, in the living room, open up to connect the two areas, creating one space. Outside, the shape of the tent provides the house with a geometric look. Inside, two skylights in the roof and a series of openings in the walls, continue the same geometric effect. * More info at Suppose Design

This concrete structure is a one-story seaside villa located in Huttsu City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This modern beachfront getaway home belongs to a small family, who lives in Tokyo, and wanted a space for relaxing during weekends. Looking at the entrance of this weekend home, don’t be fooled by its long, almost bleak reinforced concrete wall stretching from north to south – its western facade features a wooden deck and floor-to-ceiling glass openings, providing each and every room with its own panoramic view depicting amazing ocean sunsets. Inside, the interior is warm and inviting; beautiful wooden floors outstretch into a long outdoor deck, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living spaces; minimal furnishing and delicate light fixtures contribute to the overall contemporary ambiance of this seaside retreat. * More info at Apollo Architects

This contemporary home is a private residence of a couple in their 30’s, located in a quiet street in Meguro Tokyo, Japan. Featuring two floors above a ground basement, this modern house is constructed of a vertical reinforced concrete block and a large glass box that brings ample of natural light. Throughout the house, different levels and spaces are arranged around a central staircase, providing depth, various living spaces as well as a private inner courtyard. The couple are passionate about collecting modern furniture, like the ultimate Eames classics: the Lounge Chair and Ottoman and their Lounge Chair Wood (LCW). * More info at Apollo Architects

Kids Bathroom inspiration

It rained a bit this morning and although it cleared up it was quite cold and windy which probably accounted for all the traffic heading into town. I had various places to visit ending up at the dentists' to repair the tooth that broke on the Nightwalk (the filling fell out a few days later). I had gone in quite calmly expecting a quick clean up of the tooth and a new filling put in. Oh No! the missing filling was right down to the nerve so the first thing the dentist did was to give me 3 injections. I don't normally mind injections but one of them really hurt and still didn't deaden everything so that every now and then the drill hit a sensitive spot. One bonus was that because too much of the tooth had gone I had a white composite filling instead of the horrible grey amalgam fillings the NHS makes you have. Bad point is that should this filling fall out the only option is to have a crown. Even worse, because it goes right down to the nerve I might have to have a root cana...