This home in Nagoya, Japan, is probably far from what you’d imagine a typical household should look like. Nevertheless for architect Tomohiro Nata, the home reflects both a lifestyle and a design philosophy: The household coexists in spaces that allow for community and connection as well as privacy and individuality.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Two and their 2 children
Location: Nagoya, Japan
Size: 1,076 square feet
That is intriguing: Architect Tomohiro Hata and his design firm won the 2011 World Architecture News House of the Year award for their work on the home.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

Curious passersby frequently stop in amazement to check at the metal-clad construction. One of the very first ideas is likely, Where’s the door?

Although apparently complex, Hata’s composition for your home is comparatively simple. Five little rooms were initially drawn next to one another so that each structure’s pitched roof confronted the same direction. Then Hata along with his staff edited the article by alternating the order of spaces to stream in the order of room-void-room-void-room.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

The nighttime setting and ambient lighting make it less difficult to obtain the entrance, recessed from the street-facing corner and next to the family’s parking lot.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

The kitchen (behind the bar) and living room are pictured here. The kids’ rooms are directly over both of these gathering spaces; the children can look down to see what is happening stairs.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

The patio (background) and also the ofuro tub (foreground) flank the semienclosed courtyard.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

Hata’s client sits on the couch, which will be within earshot of their children when they’re on the patio.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

This upper-level perspective indicates the lively spirit of the home. Additionally, it highlights the innovative way each of the five constructions interweaves to form 1 unit.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

Bookcases from the den mark the end of a single corridor.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

An open door invites you into one of the top level (children’) bedrooms.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

The home’s alternating pitched-roof pattern creates a collection of triangular windows (above right) throughout the home — one of the numerous ways Hata pushes our understanding of the typical family home.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

Storage units are flush into the floor and marked with built-in handles.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

A nighttime photograph of the home’s east elevation indicates the makeup and shapes of windows throughout the home.

Floor plans of the reduced degree (this photo) and the top level (adjacent) clarify the apparently complex weaving of private and public spaces at the home.

Click photos to enlarge floor plans.

Tomohiro Hata Architects & Associates

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