Architects often talk about integrating outdoor spaces with the inside, but rarely do they succeed to the degree that Kazuyasu Kochi has here. In this small house the boundary between inside and outside is blurred by walls of glass bordering on covered and sheltered outdoor spaces. The actual interior space is a simple two-storey rectangular box with one-storey extensions at either end. Kochi covered this inner house with an over-sized tent of roof and bounding walls that extend beyond the inner house to define outdoor rooms at the front and back. The name of the house supposedly refers to the proportions of indoor space and protected outdoor space.

The roof structure looks tent-like from the inside as well. Architect Kochi put the living areas on the upper floor. With floor-to-ceiling glass on either side, the space is defined by the outer roof and walls rather than by the glass walls. As a result, the home feels much larger than its actual floor area (97.7 m² or 1,052 ft²). Large openings in the outer tent allow select views of nearby trees and the distant landscape.

On the lower level, all three bedrooms have direct access to the terrace. Two of the bedrooms can be joined to form a larger master suite if desired. A bedroom just off the entrance could potentially be used as a home office without requiring clients to walk through the house.

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Photographs by Daichi Ano, courtesy of Kochi Architect’s Studio. Via Design Boom.

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