This story was published in Dwell’s September 2013 issue.

Daisuke Tokuyama told Japanese architect Makoto Tanijiri that he wanted a light-filled home for his family of five—a tall order, considering his narrow property in Hiroshima was boxed in on three sides. To creatively solve the problem, Tanijiri skipped conventional walls altogether and wrapped the entire three-story steel structure in polycarbonate plastic. “We were able to mix categories that are usually separate,” says Tanijiri. “Walls became windows and windows became walls.” Thanks to its translucent envelope, the house glows firefly-fashion at night and is so “super bright” during the day that Tokuyama says he rarely turns on a light.

The milky-white, one-and-a-half-inch-thick plastic sheets provide other benefits, too. Tanijiri says they’re strong, easy to handle, and as effective at trapping warmth as double-paned glass. When temperatures rise in the summer, Tokuyama hangs reed shades to keep the upper stories from overheating. Residents can’t be seen from outside unless they stand directly against the walls. From inside, the less-than-scenic urban surroundings become a pleasantly blurry backdrop.

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The Home That Glows in the Dark