If you have a nice, private plot of land that also happens to be covered in flora, why hide it all with opaque walls? That's the thinking behind this small home cum office designed by Kochi Architects for just such a site in Tokyo. The house, which is made up of two cubes touching corners, takes up 20% of the 450 meter square property, but its exterior glass walls create the sensation that there is hardly a building there at all.
It might seem like glass walls might steam the home’s inhabitants, but a nifty circulation box placed between the two cubes ensures that this beautiful “garden house” is nice and naturally ventilated. Daylighting isn’t a problem either, although nifty blinds help to diffuse the harsher rays without disrupting the exterior/interior continuity. In addition to all that, insulating glass and wood wool improve the building’s energy efficiency. Living inside doesn’t always entail leaving nature at the front door!
Via Designboom
