“The small house which the married couple and their child live stands at the densely populated area in Tokyo. Though the neighboring houses is very close, I aimed to design the house which exceed the physical narrowness living at the city.

I laid out the 4m×4m building that as small as I can at the center of site area 34m2 and made some space for flowing of light and wind around it. And by making the space, it’s possible to avoid setback regulation and it has the 9m high volume like a tower.

The inside is simple structure what is separated by the 4 floor boards and is jointed by spiral stairway. Especially, by making some extremely thin floor boards (thickness 70mm) , the up and down floor boards got close and connected the whole space of the house without a break.

The space of around the house is useful to let light and wind in.
The wall of the rooms borders the outside, so I put windows in the best position that harmonizing with its surroundings. And the window is so big against the small room, every time the window opens or closes, the inside view dramatically changes. Especially, at the second and third floor there is a large hinged door each room, if it is opened, the inside of the room is enveloped in light and wind as if you are outside.

By making the thin floor boards for connecting with their life and making the large windows that are opened toward the city, I aimed to exceed the segmentation, for example the up stair and the down stair, the inside and the outside, a building and the town, etc… to broaden the whole image of a house.”

Via [Home Design]
+Unemori Architects

House H is the latest project by Sou Fujimoto Architects in Tokyo.
Fujimoto seized the opportunity to extend his research into the potential of primitive forms to create complex responses to contemporary needs. It’s new experiment was to find a balance between volumes, spaces and light.
Dealing innovatively with Japan’s strict plot ratio regulations, Fujimoto has avoided the conventions of creating a courtyard or of setting a house as an isolated object within the site boundary. Instead it is a hybrid; a series of boxes in boxes that define domestic realm, enclosure and interior.

Link Via [Trendsnow]

The staircase is constructed by HŠH architects for a home in Prague is made from 10mm thick sheet metal. Pairs of adjoining steps connected with an oblique external side joist form a bracket anchored in the wall. Each of the brackets is constructed as a rigid frame. The higher steps bear mainly drawing forces, while pressure is transmitted through the lower steps.

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Marcel Wanders, a world-famous design star and an original member of the influential Droog collective in the Netherlands, has conceived of the hotel as Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Morgans Hotel Group has made a pioneering move away from the bustle of Miami Beach’s oceanfront tourist center to the fashionable, growing neighborhood of Biscayne Bay. With a planned opening in early 2008, Mondrian South Beach will combine the most exhilarating design elements of a fantasy modern get-away with all the comforts and conveniences of home.

Starting at $400,000, Mondrian South Beach consists of 342 studios, one and two-bedroom apartments and penthouses. It will combine the most exhilarating design elements of a fantasy modern getaway with all the comforts and conveniences of home.

Link Via [Dezeen]