Sunday, April 10, 2011

Ultra Modern House in Japan - Unique Multi-Window House

Located in Oita, Japan, the unique House N design by Japan’s own Sou Fujimoto Architects is modern to the nth degree. Like a Russian doll, this ultra contemporary residence is comprised of three shells of graduated size, and layered to create a nested effect. The exterior shell encompasses the entire house and grounds, with a series of windows opening to the outside and to the sky. The second skin of the house further encloses the interior outdoor areas. The third shell houses the residence in the traditional sense of the word, with room for two and a dog. The trio of walls creates an enhanced sense of privacy from the street, while the unique and multiple windows maintain a relationship between indoors and out by allowing plenty of natural light and ventilation.






Japanese Home Design – a glass home hangs on a steep slope like a bird nest, not for the faint of heart!

Like a bird nest, this cool Japanese home by TNA Architects isn’t for the shy. Providing as equally an impressive view of the outside as of the inside, this amazing house is enclosed in a perimeter of windows nestled on a steep slope among the Karuizawa, with almost no support beneath it – looks like this bold, modern design isn’t for the faint of heart either! The projected architecture is made possible by the home’s steel frame, which is secured to the ground on one side. The contemporary, curved weekend house reaches off the hillside and around the trees, connecting to the other side. Inside, the house takes shape as an elongated floor plan, where one area of the home opens onto the other, separated by walls of glass. Apart from glass, the main material of choice for both the interior and exterior is wood. And true to this Japanese architect’s signature style, interiors are furnished with a minimal, modern edge.





Small Japanese Houses - traditional Minka house in Ibara

As for traditional Japanese houses, the concept of Minka is followed in this small house design but only in respect to simplicity of the living space. A more modern and spacious version of the common Minka is introduced here by architect Kazunori Fujimoto. Built in 2008 in Ibara, Okayama prefecture, Japan for a young couple who chose to leave overpopulated downtown for a simple farm life and to be closer to nature, this house is "a trial which aims at fusion of traditional farm village scenery and a modern life." As shown on these images, the house architecture is clearly split between two spaces: an enclosed concrete box and an open glass area under concrete roof. The box contains two bedrooms and a bathroom. Under the roof, there are entry, kitchen and a living room that extends into an outdoor terrace. To allow for a more flexible lifestyle in such a small house (only 78.5 square meters), the two spaces can be connected by keeping sliding doors in the bedrooms open. While the concrete box-space is designed for privacy and to limit the sunshine the roof-space is always open to nature and sunlight. Zelkova trees planted in the yard add a finishing touch to this design by Kazunori Fujimoto Architect & Associates





Japanese House Design – three-wall design houses 24 sound proof rooms!

Inhabited by a professional pianist based in Tokyo, innovative architects Yasuhiro Yamashita and Takada Masahiko of renowned Japanese architecture firm Atelier Tekuto have made some beautiful music of their own in the form of this inspired house design. Dubbed Music House, this modern home boasts a unique three-wall design resulting in a triangular footprint. A balustrade terrace with aluminum louvers provides shade while creating a balanced facade. The home’s uniquely angled roofline translates into unusually shaped rooms inside – 24 in total, spread throughout the home’s three storeys. On special request, each room is suitable for practicing music, thanks to high-performance acoustical enhancements and sound proofing incorporated into the design. Apart from their function, interiors are contemporary, yet classic, featuring the industrial look of cool concrete against a rich, natural backdrop of wood and windows.


Thursday, April 7, 2011

Pyramid Architecture in Japan


This residential pyramid architecture in Hiroshima is as innovative inside as its facade would lead you to believe. Designed by Japanese architecture firm Suppose, this pyramidal design is almost whimsical, with a dark, dramatic aura – quite the contrast to the traditional village-style homes in the area. Starting from the front entrance – a step down, rather than the predictable step up – leads you into a sunken main floor; a concrete space encircled by windows and topped with the rest of the stilt home. As you make your way up through the big, bold black structure, a staircase takes you from floor to floor through an open well, topped by a skylight that floods every floor with natural light. Surrounding the open central stairway, each floor plan works its way around and offers a view of every other floor. Now, that’s what we call an "open concept" house plan!


Modern Japanese Home - Skinny House by Shuhei Endo

This modern Japanese home by Shuhei Endo Architects is a most unusual house that tackles the obstacle of slopes as much as it does the ambition of style. The home location – an old town (Shioya Tarumi-ku Kobe, Hyogo-Pref., Japan) at the foot of a hill, and overlooking the Inland Sea. Due to the grade of the land, the town was developed in a series of steps, making their way up the hillside. The house stretches 20 meters east and west, an ample number, considering the home’s curious width: ranging from four meters deep in some parts, down to a slim 1.5 meters. Utilizing the natural stone retaining wall and the shape of the existing terrain, the architects added artificial ground, upheld by five piles. A roof and walls enclose this two-storey space. Wrapping the structure is a roof/wall constructed of metal shingle board. Large windows throughout the outward-facing wall ensure the home residents – a young couple – are never more than a couple of feet from a great view.



Monday, April 4, 2011

Small Japanese House Design in Tokyo by Architect Yasuhiro Yamashita

This is the great small Japanese houses interior design. With the natural wood floor designs, although this house that basically has the small size, but irregularly shaped lot. Depending on view point as seen as the picture, this is the contemporary and elegant Japanese house because from the shape it looks like a bulky camper van about to take off. Aware that the site is too small and the wrong way from home, the giant stuffed the house right on the site by force. The fantasy of this beautiful residence is a large part of its charm. At the same time, the house is also an elegant expression of modern Japanese minimalism, and an example of brilliant use of a small site, a requirement in the limited space in central Tokyo architecture. It seems to be the result of giant’s frustrated attempt to fashion a house from a square box, what a rare design! Do you interest with small modern Japanese house design? Take a look at these photos! Atelier Tekuto