Could you live in Japan’s zero-privacy entirely open-plan puzzle house?

This Japanese 'puzzle house' is an optical illusion

Nestled between low-rise apartment blocks and suburban houses, the building known as the House in Miyamoto is an unassuming grey box from the outside. Inside, however, it’s a different story. With 13 floors and no internal walls, this labyrinthine residence is breaking all the architectural rules. Join us as we explore this puzzling family home in the heart of Osaka...

A plot in Osaka

Designed by Yo Shimada, an award-winning designer and founder of Tato Architects, this house ushers in a new era of open-plan living. Located in Fukushima-Ku ward, a residential area in the heart of Osaka, it capitalises on the compact, 128-square-metre plot with a radical 13-level design. Devoid of interior walls and doors, the property is an intriguing maze of platforms and staircases.

An unusual brief

The owners are a family of three who wanted a house that would grow and evolve with them. Their brief was for a space that would allow them to feel close to each other, no matter where they were. They also requested that the building have no built-in storage as they didn’t want to hide away their possessions.

Multi-floor plans

Tato Architects rose to the challenge, putting forward plans for a multi-floor space that would encourage ‘togetherness’ and offer new ways for family members to interact. Drawing on the company’s philosophy to ‘formulate positive outcomes through understanding the subtle constraints of everyday life’, the house prioritises functionality and the optimisation of light and space.

Architectural drawings

The flag-shaped lot is enclosed on each side by apartments and carparks with further development expected in the near future. To ensure privacy and prevent the occupants from feeling overshadowed by the surrounding buildings, the house was designed with two triangular roof terraces. Each has floor-to-ceiling windows that allow light to filter down through the various floors, creating a unique interplay of shadows in the process.

Artist's impression

As the house is located in a fire-prevention district, the frame was made from steel then clad in corrugated metal panels. Whitewashed throughout, it created a blank canvas onto which the family could project their style and personality. To prevent the building from feeling too austere and utilitarian, the stairs and window were frames were made of golden-toned wood. 

A curious cross-section

In terms of structure, the house has two sets of metal platforms that spiral up on either side, uniting briefly in the living room before separating once again. The majority are triangular to keep the spaces feeling open and promote the dispersion of natural light. Only the kitchen and bedrooms are shaped differently to provide space for beds and counters.

Suspended platforms

The building is 6.9 metres tall with a 70-centimetre gap between each level. The bottom six floors are supported by 75-millimetre square pipes, whilst the top six are suspended from 20-millimetre steel rods. Giving the illusion of floating, the platforms represent a merging of earth and sky that unites the house with its surroundings.

Snippets of staircases

In total, the 13 levels offer 94 square metres of space, more than enough for the family and their belongings. Each one has a steel frame that supports a metal panel. The underside of each level exposes the corrugated sheeting, adding a unique industrial aspect to the design and letting the skeleton of the structure shine through.

Optical illusions

Drawing on elements of Scandinavian design, the platforms are joined by metal-framed staircases with light wood treads. These create different pathways through the house, thereby facilitating the discovery of different angles, views and perspectives. Much like a family, the building is a complex web of interrelated components that interact in a variety of ways and continuously offers something new.

Art meets science

Interestingly, the word Tato means ‘out’ in Japanese; a subtle reference to the studio’s out-of-the-box approach to design and efforts to ensure their projects blend seamlessly with the outside world. With inspiration seemingly drawn from an extensive range of sources such as cargotecture, sculpture and optical illusions, the house is proof that art and science can amicably coexist.

Maximising space

Furthermore, the building addresses one of the world’s most pressing questions: how to provide adequate housing in increasingly overpopulated cities. With a population density of 13,700 people per square mile, Osaka is the densest urban area in Japan. The House in Miyamoto shows that even small plots of land have the potential to be transformed into comfortable and spacious abodes.

Pick a pathway

Although the house offers little privacy from the inside, from the outside it is comfortably nondescript. The decision to place the largest windows at the top of the house was made to safeguard the owners’ privacy in such a busy residential area. The contrast between the communal interior and discreet exterior draws a clear line between public and private life, making this very much a home.

An empty shell

The owners were already living nearby and took their time moving into the house and putting their stamp on it. As they accumulated more furniture and artwork, the building took on an entirely new appearance, transforming from an empty shell into a richly eclectic and personal space.

A peculiar porch

The ground floor gets the least amount of light and so functions as a storage area rather than a primary living space. There are freestanding clothes rails for coats and hats, wall-mounted hooks for hats and space for the family to store their bikes. A quirky collection of mismatched chairs adds personality to the otherwise rather clinical décor.

Vertical storage

One of the main advantages of having a house with so many levels is the versatility in terms of storage. Whilst each platform is itself a living area, it can also function as a shelf for the level below, ensuring essential items are always within reach. The absence of conventional storage also responds to the age-old problem of forgetting where you’ve left something – simply look up!

A curious kitchen

The kitchen area has been artfully designed with a long, industrial-style counter that houses a sink and hob. There’s plenty of space for a dining table with four chairs and a storage cabinet. The pentagonal platform offers glimpses of several other floors, making cooking a communal activity no matter the chef. 

Upside down living

The living room has a similar aesthetic with clean lines, natural materials and homely touches. Situated higher up, the space is flooded with natural light and is overlooked by one of the roof terraces, helping bring the outside in. A comfy leather sofa backs against a higher platform, creating a cosy area to curl up with a book.

A bathroom with a view

Further up still, a wet-room has been created on a triangular platform with metal stairs offering access to the roof. The large windows provide an alfresco bathing experience whilst an artfully placed mirror reflects the leafy green terrace into the house. The floor has a wall-mounted shower as well as freestanding bath nestled in the corner.

Playing with perspective

The topsy-turvy configuration creates a slightly disorientating feel, drawing parallels with M.C. Escher’s 1953 lithograph print, Relativity. The owners have further played with perspective by using several toy-sized items of furniture to confuse and delight the intrigued viewer. Their experimental approach to interior design results in a charmingly characterful and lived-in feel.

Quirky décor

In terms of décor, the owners opted for an eclectic, mismatched look, filling the blank space with their possessions, heirlooms and artwork. It’s the little touches that make the house a home: a row of colourful books nestled into a corner or multiple sets of flat leather slippers displayed on a dresser. Everywhere you look, there’s a new point of interest: a pair of papier-mâché hands suspended from the ceiling or a toy Ferris wheel in a corner.

A house full of plants

There’s also a significant emphasis placed on the natural world, with various curiosities from trips and excursions exhibited around the home. Trailing hanging plants help soften the stark lines of the steel structure, whilst dried leaves and flowers lend the space a rustic, bucolic vibe. At the top of the house, the two terraces overflow with greenery, creating mini oases in the heart of the city.

A new take on open-plan living

The project is a new take on open-plan living that shuns minimalism in favour of ‘organised’ clutter. Whilst in an old building, the décor could easily overwhelm the space; in this house, it helps to mould the harsh lines and angles into something softer and more intimate. The rejection of traditional rooms helps the owners achieve what they set out to do: create a space that brings them together as a family.

The future of the humble abode?

This style of living is certainly not for everyone but it does examine our preconceptions of what constitutes a ‘house’. With the tiny home trend, repurposing of shipping containers and rise of ‘van life’, houses are taking on increasingly varied forms and designs. Following the success of this 13-floor puzzle house, what might the future hold for residential architecture?

Reference links to original sources may not appear in this version – to view the piece in full, please see www.loveproperty.com