On the site of what was a former farmyard, left behind to weed over in the heart of a residential neighbourhood in Japan, this compact house by Nanometer Architecture used the profile of the tricky site and its long list of restrictions to turn the structure into something out of the ordinary. 

A pronounced gradient (the plot rises five metres from the street to the rear end of the site) and mature plants dotted across it along with other traces of its agricultural past gave the architects pause for thought. Rather than flattening the site, they opted to lift it, preserving much of the landscaping while turning the ground level into a sheltered ‘garden’ for further planting and open spill out space. While the owners didn’t want a garden that they would have to maintain, planning rules insisted on a certain quota of green space, so the solution of a cantilevered structure floating over the ground level suited all parties, with the covered area becoming part garden, part pathway, and part play space that ticked all planning boxes. 

Inside, the home stretches vertically, the high ceilings extending the sense of space throughout the compact interiors. The main living, kitchen and dining area features 3.8-metre ceilings, creating a soaring, double heigh space at the heart of the home. Bedrooms, storage and bathrooms are tucked into loft-like spaces at either end, allowing the house to accommodate the required rooms without expanding its footprint. This is a home shaped by its site, with its shortcomings flipped into a creative design that makes for a beautifully unconventional, functional home. 

Photography © ToLolo Studio