The house in Muko is a one of a kind design created for a unique site by Fujiwara room Architects in Japan. Consisting of a single room floor plan with the master bedroom and stairwell at the back of the fan shaped space. The stairwell leads up to two children’s bedrooms and the bath, none of which are completely closed off. The face of the home is wrapped in glass and tall vertical louver slabs, allowing light to both enter and exit the home, depending on the time of day.
When the louvered slabs meet the sides of the home they transform into the side for a clean transition from exposed façade to closed and private walls – with the exception of the entry door that beckons people inward. The trees positioned just in front of the home offer an interesting contrast to the precise lines of the building.
Once inside the Muko house, the feeling swiftly changes from precise geometric lines to fluid shapes full of movement and undulation. From the egg shaped swing seat that sways gracefully when touched, to the curvaceous couch and Ant Dining chairs, the furnishings are all based on curvilinear formations. Playing off of these curves, the sunlight creates interesting staggered and rectangular light spots with curved ends as the suns rays pass through the louvers and against the furnishings within. The composition is so visually interesting; it is easy to miss the quiet niche with opened sliding doors that is the master bedroom.
The dining room is a fun grouping of Danish Ant Chairs. The selection is a perfect choice that offers major impact while taking up minimal space. The light wood of the set blends with the pale wood flooring and kitchen cabinetry. While the white louvers on the window wall take attention away from the sink on the far wall and the bed in its hide away niche. Even the main entrance, next to the bed is unassuming.
I love the whimsical formation of the chairs. So effortlessly sculptural with their ant silhouettes and here, against the repeating shadow lines created by the louvered window wall, the chairs are a statement of softness and elegance.
Just past the dining area is the kitchen. Composed of a galley workstation with the addition of an island, it is small but functional. The volume of the wood wrapped island blends harmoniously with the floor.
The floor plan of the Muka House shows how functional the small space truly is. From kitchen to dining to living every zone flows smoothly and every zone has sufficient space for easy movement. The far wall of the fan shaped plan holds the bedroom niche a small toilet and a flight of stairs to the first mezzanine. The first mezzanine is centrally divided by a stairwell, creating two bedroom stations for the children. A shared work station spans the space across from the stairs and connects the two bedrooms. The stairs lead up to a bathroom and the roof top balcony.
The workstation that connects the two bedrooms offers plenty of storage below.
The two bedrooms are located centrally within the homes volume with the living zone below spanning the space with the kitchen and living areas. Up one flight of stairs is the bathroom on one side and a few more steps up is the roof top deck on the other.
The bathroom is a white on white scheme that is flooded with light through the wall of windows.
The beauty of the homes design is the way the sun continues to enter the home throughout the day. Light from the east refracts off of the louvers before entering while the direct sun from the south creates a path of sunlit lines interspersed by louver shadows. Western light reflects off the open stairwell walls before also entering the home. This constant pattern of sun and shadow, combined with the geometric design itself offers a surprisingly large sculptural statement on such a small footprint.
Fujiwara room Architects
photographer: toshiyuki, yano
