This Extremely Narrow Home in Japan Was Supposed to Be Even Narrower

Houses We Love: Every day we feature a remarkable space submitted by our community of architects, designers, builders, and homeowners. Have one to share? Post it here.

Project Details:

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Architect: Kominoru Design / @kominorudesign

Footprint: 645 square feet

Builder: Shimizu Koumuten

Structural Engineer: Ryunosuke Funayama

Landscape Design: Takafumi Ino

Photographer: Katsumasa Tanaka / @k_tanaka_photo

From the Architect: "This three-story wooden house is built on a small plot of land. Since it is on a corner lot, if the fire resistance performance is met, the building coverage ratio can be 80 percent, and we were able to secure more floor space than we expected. In a semi-fire-resistant area, we chose a semi-fire-proof building, rather than a semi-fire-resistant building. By widening some of the columns and beams, we were able to partially expose the wooden structure while still ensuring fire resistance. As a result, we were able to make the ceiling higher by placing it on the beams, and despite the steep slope, we were just able to secure the necessary floor area.

"Taking advantage of the long vertical space, we installed a ventilation window on the rooftop, allowing the entire building to ventilate using gravity like a wind tower, creating a house where you can always feel the breeze. We planted trees above the eaves, and raised the ground floor garden to the second floor, allowing the occupant to enjoy a small amount of greenery from inside the house."