This house is home to a family of 4
Mother, father and 2 children.
It is located in Osaka, Japan.
In the area around the home
there is a lake and schools nearby.
It is a really quiet neighbourhood
My name is Kazuteru Matumura
and I am an architect and founder of Coil Kazuteru Matsumura Architects.
This house is 57sqm
The client was looking for a compact home
They wanted a house were they could gather together in an open space instead of being in separate rooms.
The house is situated on a small street.
The entrance faces the road
you will first see the stainless steel cover above
and a wooden door which you slide open to enter.
Inside the entrance
there are custom made mosaic tiles at the door
The construction of this house was built by Okimoto-san from Kisaburo
We used Yoshino cedar and mukunoki (muku tree)
The floating shoe shelf is made from cedar boards.
The space under the stairs is used as an entry closet.
The area around the stairs contains the entrance to the bedroom and bathroom
The bathroom sink is the same as the ones in science labs.
It was chosen for its large size and to reduce cost.
Above the sink is a mirror cabinet
and a washing machine at the end.
A door in the bathroom leads to the side of the house
The unit bath contains the shower and the bath
There is a hanging rack from the ceiling to dry clothes
The bedroom is on the first floor.
The children’s room has space for 2 kids.
There are bunk beds
with desks and storage underneath
which can be pulled out when needed
All of the furniture here were purchase from furniture stores
It helps to keep the costs down
The curtains have velcro
It creates a soft atomosphere
and is also budget friendly
In the parent’s sleeping area
at the end of the beds
there is a closet.
As you go up the stairs
there are curtains installed in this area
There is a bookshelf here decorated with family photos
that also doubles as a railing.
In summer, the curtains helps to keep the aircon on the upper floor
The furniture in the living room were all brought from their previous home
There is a sofa, coffee table
wall mounted TV and a compact TV unit.
The small windows in the home have retractable fly screens
it works well and is compact in size
Behind the sofa is a storage cabinet
It allows the family to hide away household items in the drawers.
Access to the loft is by the ladder or a rock climbing wall
The ladder can be moved around the living room.
The kids can play on the rock climbing wall.
The loft has some storage and space for the kids
The kitchen contains a sink, induction hob and a hood above
The shelving area behind contains the microwave and rice cooker and other kitchen items
The lighting in the kitchen is through a lighting rail
Next to the fridge is the office
with space for a computer and other items.
The dining table was kept from the family’s previous home
so we designed the kitchen to be the same width as table
The toilet room has a small and compact basin
and the toilet is tankless which saves a bit of space
Next to the toilet is a storage area behind a curtain
and hides everyday items.
The 2nd floor balcony can be accessed via a small door.
It also has a retractable flyscreen to save on space
As the population continues to decline in Japan,
the city will be become increasingly more convenient
and I think inner city dwellings will become even more important.