Wooden Box House – Small House in Japan Mixes Work and Home Life

This simple, small house is set in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It’s been designed for a married couple who both wanted to work from home. The project, called Wooden Box House, was undertaken by Suziki Architects, who introduced a hair saloon on the first floor for the wife, and a writing studio on the second floor for the husband.

The entire building has a floor area of just 850 square feet (79 square meters) – not a lot of space considering it has to meet both work and home-life requirements. To achieve everything the clients asked in such a small volume, the architects had to double up on space.

The first floor is occupied by the saloon to the front, with a private bedroom to the rear. The left-hand-side of the home contains the staircase, a downstairs toilet, and storage space for the bedroom. The upper level contains a kitchen and dining room, with a bedroom/writing room to the back.

The home’s main bathroom is found on the second floor, sandwiched between the staircase and the storage space of the bedroom. Like most Japanese homes it features a toilet area that’s separate from the bathroom. From the architects: “This architecture has a simple plan reflecting the couple’s lifestyles,  and wood over time gives the taste and warmth to architecture in various ways.”

There doesn’t appear to be any room that acts as a dedicated living room, but with sliding partition doors they could easily create one, should they need it. In addition to the living spaces there’s also two small balconies to the front and back of the house: one overlooking the street, the other the garden.

The finish makes great use of timber, both inside and out. On the inside, chunky timber beams and floor joists help give the home some character. The floor has also be finished in wood, but the walls have been clad with white-painted drywall, preventing the house from feeling like like log cabin.

For more Japanese houses check out this home that’s been squeezed onto a tiny lot, and appropriately named the Near House. Or, this house that takes advantage of the space available to it by building upwards. See all small houses.

Via ArchDaily
Photos: Kenta Hasegawa