Tsuyoshi and Maya Ōhama were living just north of Tokyo with their then-toddler, Nana, when the high school sweethearts learned they were expecting twins and decided to move back to their hometown, Osaka. After welcoming their daughters Kano and Yuno, the family settled into a 646-square-foot apartment in the Hirano neighborhood, near Maya’s parents. But after three years, they started to feel the squeeze of apartment living: “Our kids were younger and noisier, so we were always worried about disturbing the neighbors,” says Maya. They began to search for land where they could build a home to give their growing girls more space.

Ōhama and their daughters, nine-year-old Nana and seven-year-olds Kano and Yuno, use the narrow strip leading up to their Hirano, Osaka, home as a driveway or, during summer, a spot for their inflatable pool." layout="" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

Adamant that their kids remain in the same schools, Tsuyoshi and Maya kept the search to their existing neighborhood. They came across a 937-square-foot “flag” lot (an irregularly shaped parcel named for its resemblance to a flag on a pole), one of six contiguous lots that had been subdivided after an old apartment building and parking lot were demolished. It was on sale for less than the others. “It was cheaper because of the shape, but we saw it as a benefit, not a drawback,” says Maya, noting that the narrow “pole,” or strip of land leading to the main plot from the street, meant the house would be set back from the road and offer more privacy.

“We wanted it to feel connected, but also have cozy spots where you can be alone.”
–Maya Ōhama, resident

For Tsuyoshi, it had been a childhood dream to design and build a home from scratch—the more offbeat, the better. “I’ve always watched TV shows about architecture,” says Tsuyoshi, who, as a child, loved the Japanese TV program Atsushi Watanabe’s Building Exploration, which showcases unusual homes. After buying the lot in early 2020, the couple fielded input from various firms and were drawn to a proposal from Osaka-based FujiwaraMuro Architects. No strangers to working within the constraints of a limited site (the firm has designed Japanese city homes on lots as small as 397 square feet), principals Shintaro Fujiwara and Yoshio Muro proposed “integrating the thin, elongated shape” of the lot’s 9.8-foot-wide pole section into the home’s design, Muro says. Stacked ceramic panels give the windowless facade a monolithic presence, with the two-story structure—just over 5 feet wide in the pole section and about 16 feet wide in the flag part—stretched vertically in a striking manipulation of scale.

“In the beginning, instead of focusing on drawing up blueprints, we started by playing around with 3D models—adding steps here and there and thinking about how it would feel to walk through the space,” says Muro. To fit the necessary living spaces—including a kitchen, living and dining area, bathroom, playroom, and bedroom—into the tight footprint, the architects divided the home’s 868 square feet of floor space into numerous split levels atop one another, connected by wide, terraced steps and geometric sets of stairs. “It felt like creating layers in the landscape,” says Muro.

Aside from doors to the entry, bathrooms, upstairs bedroom, and roof deck, divisions of space are loosely defined by strategically placed railings and partial walls with peekaboo lookouts. “Although the spaces are connected, you can’t always see everything,” says Maya. “There’s a sense of separation.” Even when all five family members are home, there are places for each of them to work, play, or relax out of each other’s direct sight. Maya says when the girls are playing in their cubbies upstairs she often can’t see them and needs to call out to find them. “I always preferred a space that feels connected, but still offers a bit of privacy,” says Maya. “I think Japanese homes, with elements like fusuma [traditional paper-wrapped sliding doors] and shoji [translucent doors and screens], are rooted in a tradition that shapes a more relaxed attitude toward privacy,” adds Muro.

For now, the family sleeps together in one bedroom on the second level, though some of the spaces currently used as storage can be turned into rooms for the girls as they get older. The rooms are “small, but they serve their purpose,” Tsuyoshi says, noting that the kids can add curtains for privacy. “How they use those rooms in the future is up to them.”

“It wasn’t specifically about making multipurpose rooms from the start, but More about creating places for the kids to find their own space as they grow.”
–Yoshio Muro, architect

Because the lot is surrounded by buildings on three sides, another priority for the architects and clients was figuring out how to bring natural light into the home. The stacked, open levels ascend to the main source of interior light: an oversize skylight. “It was basically the only place where we could bring in significant light,” says Muro. “Especially with lots like this one, you really have to focus on how to bring in light from above.” Organizing the layout around a central atrium also helped create “a feeling of openness,” says the architect. “When your gaze is drawn upward, it expands your sense of space…. It brings you closer to the sky.”

Though Muro worried about whether the single skylight could brighten the entire home, Tsuyoshi says: “We rarely need to turn on the lights during the day. We can get by with natural light alone.”

In the evenings, the family typically gathers to share a meal, then watch TV or just relax on the living room floor. “Since the space is small, putting in a sofa isn’t really feasible,” says Maya. “Besides, we prefer the floor.” The Ōhamas appreciate the central skylight as much at night as in the daytime. “When the moon is shining, the house is lit up by moonlight,” says Maya. “It’s wonderful.”

Interviews and translation by Katherine Whatley.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: FujiwaraMuro Architects / @fujiwaramuroarchitects

Builder: K・I・S

Structural Engineering: Ukyo Architectural Structures Office

Landscape Design: Garden Design Office MANYO / @gdoffice.manyo

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