If you seek small smart homes, this Tokyo area design does not disappoint! The innovative architects at IDEA Office are the brains behind Y-House – striking Japanese architecture that maximizes every inch of its urban house plan. This small Japanese home was designed with a trio of objectives: a connection to the outdoors without sacrificing privacy; outdoors that would enhance the feeling of space indoors; and solar access in every room. With some careful considerations in design, the three storey house accomplishes all three. Toward the rear of this compact house the vertical volume presents densely organized living spaces to make room for an open, airy front volume with a terrace that doubles as an outdoor living room, and a garden. A two-storey wall surrounds the space, and is open to the sky for privacy and nature, all in one. This “buffer zone” shelters the home from the busy street while allowing the sun to stream in at every level. Every room is oriented to overlook this little private piece of nature in a city otherwise packed with people, houses, traffic. Another “green” benefit of this smart home comes in the eco-sustainable” sense, in the form of passive summer ventilation and winter heating via skylights, insulated metal panels, a reflective white roof, and water heater on demand.
IDEA Office
photo credit: Kouichi Torimura
