The tiny urban home features a total floor area of 75 sq meters (807 sq ft) and is composed of two volumes — the gate house and the main house. The gate house is a slim, two-story volume located adjacent to the street that serves as the entrance to the home. A narrow passageway sits on the right side of the house, providing direct access to the courtyard. The bottom floor of the gatehouse acts as an entry, while the top floor, accessed via a wooden ladder, serves as a study with built-in bookshelves.
In between the two volumes is a small courtyard, which provides the owners with a private space to sit and reflect out of doors, and the courtyard also pulls natural daylight into the buildings despite the narrow site. In the back is a larger volume that holds the bedroom and bathroom along with the living and dining space. The bedroom and the house’s only bathroom sit on the ground floor, while the living/dining area is up top. Construction on the Near House was completed in 2010.
Images © Shigeo Ogawa
