[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”top-to-bottom”]A house the length of a car becomes a home for a family living in Tokyo. Even for Japanese standards the house with its 4m x 4m footprint is considered as highly compact.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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The reason of the small house is the regulation which dictates that buildings must be physically separate from each other. In this case the site is 34m2 small and has neighbors on three sides. Within this condition the house manages to pack in a lower ground floor for sleeping, a double-height living area, a spare room and a terrace. The architect laid out the building as small as he could at the center of the site area and made some space for flowing of light and wind around it. By making the space, it is possible to avoid setback regulation and it has the 9 m high volume.A house the length of a car becomes a home for a family living in Tokyo. Even for Japanese standards the house with its 4m x 4m footprint is considered as highly compact.
The inside has a very simple structure and is separated by the four floor boards and is joined by a spiral stairway. Especially by making some extremely thin floor boards (7cm thickness), the up and down floor boadrs got close and connected the whole space of the house without a break.
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The architect put windows in the best position so they can harmonize with its surroundings. The windows are very big compared to the small rooms. Every time a window opens or closes, the inside dramatically changes.
The house has clean edges and is very minimalistic in material and furniture. The only concern to point out is about the stairway; the project is actually done for a family with a little child, so having a spiral staircase could be dangerous. However, under the limiting conditions, the design by Unemori Architects is very nicely done.
