While homes in Japan are knocked down and rebuilt within weeks — often looking nigh-on identical albeit with a touch more modernity each time — every now and then a house is built which makes people stop in their tracks. Architects responding to seemingly impossible briefs get creative, developers invent new materials and the results are impressive. Due to Japan's range of landscapes and environments — from rocky volcanic grounds to crowded urban plots — a property's idiosyncratic charm can easily shine through as it's adapted to its surroundings. Consequently the variety of homes is truly stunning. Here are five that might make you think again if you're planning a run-of-the-mill design for your future home.
Tohome | Tohoku
Born of the sudden need for housing following the devasting Tohoku Earthquake in March 2011, Bakoko's Tohome houses can be adapted depending on their future locations. While communities in the damaged areas are keen to rebuild in their original towns, the government is looking to start afresh on higher ground, although this would be costly. The unique design of the Tohome incorporates an option to have the homes elevated on metal legs, allowing them to be placed in flood-prone areas or uneven ground.
Although compact, the houses are complete living spaces and are designed to incorporate the neccessities of a Japanese home, including a terrace space for airing futons. The cubic design means they can be easily stacked for transport and also aids energy retention due to the optimal surface to volume ratio. To maximise on efficiency, the homes are built in American factories and shipped out, benefitting from the favourable exchange rates and recession-hit homebuilding industry.
With a modern look that's a far cry from 'temporary,' the homes are adaptable, affordable and offer a more permanent option for those left without a home.
Folded house | Tokyo
Narrow homes are a common sight in Tokyo: a preference for rebuilding and a lack of space mean that sometimes architects have to be more than a little creative with the space they're given. The brief of "a wide open living space" may have been challenging for Florian Busch Architects, but the results somehow managed to provide exactly that. At 22m long and only 4.7m wide, the proposed site was narrow to say the least, but by using a concrete structure with glass walls, the lines between interior and exterior are blurred.
Reminiscent of origami, the building's frame is like a single sheet of folded paper, with one continuous surface manipulated to create walls, floors and ceilings. Each room has an enclosed and exposed side, allowing plenty of light and avoiding the trapped feeling you might expect from such a confined space. The house has no internal partitions, with curtains separating some areas and open spiral staircases connecting floors.
Located in Takadanobaba, the central, urban location combined with the openness to nature and the elements creates a space rare in Tokyo.
Dome houses | Kumamoto
Resembling a futuristic settlement from a sci-fi film on a planet far away, the Aso Farm Land Resort is a strange and intriguing sight. 450 domed houses surrounded by trees cover the volcanic grounds and are currently used as an onsen resort.
The buildings began to be taken more seriously however, when they survived the 2016 earthquake in the area without any damage whatsoever, while traditional houses nearby collapsed and caught fire, killing 49 people and injuring 3000 others.
The modular home company who designed them use a next-generation form of polystyrene foam, which is denser and more compact than the kind used in our day-to-day lives. The dome shape means that they are structurally more reliable during earthquakes as they lack posts or beams and are light weight. And the foam is also a fantastic insulator.
They can be built in a week by three people and are highly customisable, meaning they are great for communities which need rebuilding entirely.
The shape may take some getting used to, but the yurt-like feel gives an unusual and unique touch to your home decor.
Courthouse in the city | Fukuyama
Why have trees outside when you can have them inside? That's the arching concept of the nicely named "courthouse in the city" located in Fukuyama, which encompasses a small garden with rooms and windows creating an indoor garden.
Designed by UID architects, the property is surrounded by buildings leaving no space for the greenery the residents desired — not if traditional rules were followed, that is. By turning traditions on their heads, the team created an internal tree garden that reaches up to the second floor through an open central area, bringing in light and a breath of fresh air. The top floor has an open glass-fronted design which, combined with rustling tree tops, gives you the feel of a treehouse.
The house entrance is lined with an indoor rock garden and is located in the center of the building, leading into the tree garden, offering an escape from concrete streets to the lush heart of this unusual home.
While the outside is dark and modern, without a hint of light or greenery, the inside more than makes up for it, feeling like an entirely new property.
Glass-walled house | Tokyo
Resembling more of a minimalist construction site than a home, this glass-panelled house is a visual challenge to say the least. Sou Fujimoto Architects crafted a metal structure with more glass than you might think reasonable for a home on a traditional street in the center of Tokyo.
The confusing geometery of white metal bars is reminiscent of an Ikea kit halfway through contruction, but creates an organic open space that is unhindered by walls. The front-facing section of the house comprises of six varying levels with short flights of stairs between them and occasional doors, creating an open-plan and sprawling feel. Miniature balconies and decks extend beyond so you can perch and view the street below. There are private spaces towards the back of the house, including the bathroom and bedrooms, with the living room and kitchen occupying the space between.
Conventional items like bookshelves and plants add a surreal but homely feel, dotted between platforms and often hidden from view.
It might not be everyone's idea of a dream home, especially if you like a little more privacy — but for those who love a feeling of unhindered freedom, it would be perfect.
By Lily Crossley-Baxter
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