House H: Y Beams, Hanging Floors and Irregular Cutouts Transform a Tiny Japanese Home

With a footprint of just 64 square meters, this freshly renovated home in a residential area outside of Tokyo received an extraordinary makeover from <a href="http://blog.gessato.com/2013/01/29/house-h-by-hiroyuki-shinozaki-architects/">Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects</a>. Known for <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/hiroyuki-shinozaki-architects/">naming his houses in accordance with the English alphabet</a>, the Japanese designer turns blank spaces into contemporary works of art. This is particularly true of House H, which was originally built in the 1960s. Hit the jump to learn how Shinozaki executed this fantastic renovation and browse our gallery of gorgeous images by Fumihiko Ikemoto.

This home was originally built in the 1960s

The home is part of a residential area planned just outside of Tokyo - in Matsudo City

Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects was commissioned to give the home a facelift

Shinozaki decided to give it a big roof

The interior is apportioned with eight Y-beams

Six floorboards are hung from these beams

These interventions allowed the designer to create spatial variation inside without clutter

Daylighting is another challenge in dense developments

Shinozaki created irregular cutouts in the facade

These cutouts allow light to penetrate all four corners of the home

The hanging floors create two storeys, maximizing space

Yet another fine example of Japanese elegance!