Sandwiched between neighboring houses on a densely populated street, House Tokyo by UNEMORI ARCHITECTS reads as a stack of corrugated steel boxes. With a building area of just 280 square feet to work with, the architects managed to carve out an interior square footage of nearly double that by strategically manipulating the volumes.

“In Tokyo, tiny plots of land are the standard,” says principal architect Hiroyuki Unemori. “Houses in the city have to be compact and cleverly structured. With House Tokyo, we reacted to the challenge by designing the house as stacked, interlinked cubes with a very open floor plan.”

By setting the upper level further back from the street, the architects were able to create a small outdoor terrace while creating better opportunities for light to sweep inside. Throughout the design, moments like this create what might be called breathing room. For example, “the small gap between the neighboring houses brings a view to the sky, wind circulation, and of course, sunlight,” explains Unemori.

The outer walls were created from cement and then wrapped in sheets of corrugated steel. Inside, a neutral palette enhances the calming, minimalist aesthetic. Crisp white walls complement exposed portions of the wooden framework, such as the wood-framed windows and ceiling beams.

From the entrance, a folded metal staircase leads to the partially sunken bedroom and bathroom, or up to the elevated, open kitchen-and-dining area. Giving the client the option to someday rent out the home, the sleeping area can also be divided into two rooms.

“The client has a very busy, urban lifestyle, so the city is their extended house,” says Unemori. “They use House Tokyo for sleeping, working, and living.”

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The ceiling heights range from approximately 22 to 50 feet high, creating discrete moments in a modest amount of space. These staggered ceilings, as well as the many openings and windows, create “a spacious, pleasant living experience—even in such a compact, small house,” say the architects.

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Project Credits:

Architecture: UNEMORI ARCHITECTS

Structural Engineering: HSC

Lighting: DAIKO

General Contracting: Fukazawa Corporation