Utsunomiya-U by Architecture Lab Opens Up all Interior Spaces

Japanese design practice Architecture-Lab once again manages to surprise us with the innovative house designs and floor plans of their Utsunomiya-U home. The two-story home is located in Tochigi, in a rather conventional residential setting. However, this home’s interiors are anything but conventional. The core of the house is formed by an ample two-level open space. The vertical negative space explores a new method of organizing the interiors. This home is all about having fun in an open space, as well as about adding transparency to urban, domestic living. The home is simple and unassuming on the outside, with its square footprint and pyramid hipped roof. Essentially, it looks just like any other home around it.

In a bolder design move, the home’s façade is clad in a metallic skin, which updates the design and gives the structure a minimalist, dynamic, contemporary feel. House designs and floor plans in Japan are often surprising, and this one is no exception. You might traditionally expect to find a parking lot outside the home, but, in this case, vehicles are parked right at the core of the house. There is a wonderfully landscaped garden both to the east and to the west of the plot. Indoors, you will be reminded of sectional scaled home models, or of a doll house. Standing downstairs will allow you to experience the entire home in one glance – common spaces, kitchen, day area and living room, all seamlessly integrated into a singular space.

(Source: Architecture-Lab.com)