The objective for this residence in Tokyo, Japan was to make the interior as spacious as possible, while maintaining a secure and secluded look from the outside. In order to achieve this, the architects made the living, dining and kitchen on the top floor, allowing for these areas to take as much light in as possible. All of this is enclosed together with a courtyard, dubbed ‘Floating Patio’, with walls to prevent gaze from the outside.

The basement includes another thin courtyard, to link the top courtyard, and allow for light to pass through and illuminate the bedrooms and bathrooms, although they are located in the basement.

The client desired a simple residence with a interior wide open inside but cannot be perceived from outside. This wish became the entire concept of the residence.

The first floor that is inserted between two private spaces on the top and the bottom is designed as more intimate space to the outside world compared to the two different floors. The Japanese-style room on the floor is designed to hold tea ceremonies. The second floor ‘ s floating structure serves as a large roof for the first floor which created the open and dynamic space around the structure surrounding the Japanese-style room. The space is analogous to Roji-a designed alley in the context of traditional Japanese garden and the Japanese-style room will become a tearoom in the Roji.

This project is the atelier of a Brooklyn-based artist, KAWS. Unlike the solid, brick facade that blends well into the neighborhood, the interior is a vastly open space. This bright, extensive openness illuminated with toplight is a result of the artist’s request to create large paintings under natural light. The appearance is more of a gallery than an atelier, with a simple composition that reduces detail and amplifies openness.

This minimal house by Japanese studio Tato Architects in Kanagawa, Japan is compromised of three storeys with split levels, often connected with aesthetic steps and step-boxes, often featuring clean white walls, with wooden and concrete floors and accents which deliver a minimalistic look, while increasing the perceived space throughout the house. Large windows and a lot of daylight allows the white walls to illuminate the whole house, creating a space that is friendly, appearing much bigger than it is.

The overall feel of the house both inside and out is industrial but at the same time welcoming; utilising the smallest details such as green vegetation in the corner of hallways to create a warm, natural feel. Japan is notorious for having small spaces for houses, which is why Japanese designers and architects are extremely creative in the way they use all available space.

This beautiful house is a project by Rui Cerqueira Barros architects, located in Lavra Matosinhos, Portugal. Inserted in a predominantly residential area, with strong growth in the last decade, the House of Agudela develops a plot of 350 square meters with three fronts, benefiting from a generous sun exposure and proximity to the sea.

The response to the program has undergone an adaptation of the client’s wishes to setup a home with plenty of character building that resulted in a sober and rational. A strong volume, black, where openings are carved, creating light leaks and patios, enhancing relations with the outside world and especially with light from south and west. The body of the garage was built in the house, creating a patio service north and a sheltered walkway entrance to the house, freeing the land to the south recreation area with pool, deck and garden.

The house is divided into three levels, the first being for the common areas, with living room, kitchen, laundry and garage. The middle floor houses the bedrooms and office, and the roof is going to create a second room, more intimate and reserved, which also benefits from a south facing terrace.

SKYCOURT is an ambitious renovation project that involved transforming a Japan “bubble era” house into a modern home connected to the city and the sunlight. The house is located in a quiet residential area, a couple of blocks away from Tokyo’s business district. The original house plan was a dated two storey house with cramped bedrooms, small windows with no indoor/outdoor flow. The clients, a working couple with two children, wanted to maximize the living space, create a backyard with privacy and develop a structure flooded with light.

As the original house was part of a set of twin houses, the clients also wanted to decorate the facade in order to severe the link with the sibling. These requirements demanded bold renovations. The house was lovingly given a name: The COURT that was created during the renovation bathes the home with soft light and allows its occupants to gaze at the SKY. The answer to the clients’ demands, a light filled home where one can feel connected and yet away from the city, is the definition of SKY COURT.

With a passion for modern architecture and an international understanding of style, the homeowners approached the architects seeking something unique and suitable for their growing family. The home’s quiet street setting gives no indication of the dynamic coastal views accessible from inside, and this feeling of revelation became the starting point for the design.

A simple line separating public from private, the first move about which the house begins, starts the dialogue. This wall is punctuated with a sliding panel and is then drawn up to reveal the striated walnut garage door that continues the plane. The woven-steel panel is the gateway to the interior courtyard and private dominion. As seen from inside the courtyard, the enceinte transforms into an exterior fireplace and backdrop for the glass-like pool. A wall of foliage on one end provides a panel of green to complement the shimmering blue water; on the other end, a continuous fountain creates a soothing soundtrack.

The house itself takes advantage of these two exterior spaces, interior courtyard and exterior view, with a wrapper of sliding doors that, when open, turn the house into an outdoor pavilion. A juxtaposition of lacquered cabinetry set against painted brick walls, and aged wood floors in contrast to stark white walls further emphasize the balance of sophistication and style that make up this home.