On a small site positioned between two tall buildings in downtown Miyazaki, South Japan, the practice of Tsukano Architect Office were faced with the challenge of creating a design for a home which would effectively deal with the lack of privacy and the noise factor inherent on the site.
These problems were immediately solved by enclosing the two-level 108 sq.m. structure in a white concrete shell, a perfect interpretation of Japanese minimalism. The space between the structure and the ‘shell’ created a courtyard through which sufficient daylight entered the home.
On the interior, white walls and hardwood floors continue in the same simplistic vein for which Japanese architecture is admired. The architect appears to have achieved the impossible in designing a home with the qualities of a self-contained sanctuary, a place of tranquility within the urban environment.
