This compact building is essentially one large room with minimal interior walls. Instead of relying on traditional room divisions, the layout is defined by the floors, structural walls, and steps. The house is designed for a married couple who don’t want strict boundaries between their personal and work lives. They envision a home where they can work from any part of the house and always feel connected to each other. This lifestyle inspired a design with open, airy spaces that encourage interactions between the indoors and outdoors, giving rise to the concept of a flexible “house of frames.”
The northern wall of the building is angled to connect to the neighboring vacant lot. To accommodate this, the heights and depths of each floor vary throughout the building. These deliberately misaligned walls and different floor heights create interesting openings that bring in natural light and fresh air while ensuring privacy from neighboring houses. On the southern side, there are no openings, so strong sunlight is kept out.
Natural light floods in throughout the day from the north side wall, creating a rich sense of time, weather, and seasonal changes. As you move further back into the house, away from the openings, you’ll find service areas like the kitchen and bathroom. Conversely, the openings become larger and closer to the outside as you approach the front road. In the heart of a bustling city, the limited space prevented the creation of a traditional garden or balcony. Instead, the house features large openings that can transform the interior space into something resembling a garden or balcony when fully opened.
The floors in the “house of frames” don’t serve a single purpose individually due to their small size. Their true potential is unlocked when they work in harmony with the displaced floors, taking on roles such as seating, tables, shelves, and ceilings. Nearly every space in the house is versatile, and the entire design hinges on the interplay of these misaligned floors. When you enter through the front door and move upward, you experience a gradual shift in the spatial layout. The addition of human-scaled stairs and furniture within the robust concrete structure of the building makes it practical for everyday use, but it goes beyond functionality to create a truly enriching experience.
This innovative approach of offsetting walls and utilizing floors at varying heights creates an open atmosphere that feels more spacious than its actual 60 square meter floor area. The “house of frames” is a single, fluid space, born out of the constraints of city living on a small site. It blends elements from near and far, at times separating and at other times repeating, resulting in a unique structural design and a comfortable home.
Architects: IGArchitects https://igarchitects.jp/
Photographs: Ooki Jingu https://ookijingu.com/
Manufacturers: Toto
Lead Architects: Masato Igarashi | IGArchitects
Engineering Structures: Yousuke Misaki EQSD
Steel Contractor: KAMO CRAFT, Susumu Murata | KAMO CRAFT
Construction Company: ARATA ‘KENCHIKU KOBO
Design Team: IGArchitects
Clients: Tomoko Igarashi, Masato Igarashi
Fabric Consultant: Fabricscape, Kiyohiko Ymamoto | Fabricscape
Construction: Masanobu Arata | ARARA KENCHIKU KOBO
Lighting Collaborator: Eri Nagao ModuleX Incorporated
Location: Japan