Tiny Home in Japan: Split-Levels, Smart Views and Space-Conscious Design

All things considered, 40 square meters of space is not much to work with and it feels even more limited when you put addition construction restrictions in place, which limit the actual built area. It is in here that tiny homes with smart design and innovative floor plan come to your rescue. House in Shukugawa designed by FujiwaraMuro Architects is one such efficient and modern space-conscious small home where every inch on offer has been maximized to the hilt. Moving away from the more traditional floor plan, the house features bedrooms and bathrooms on the lower level with the living area, kitchen and dining on the upper floor.

Smart-and-space-savvy-Japanese-home-has-been-set-back-on-the-lot-78547 — Smart and space-savvy Japanese home has been set back on the lot

View-of-the-space-conscious-staircase-of-the-home-from-split-level-above-45525-217x155

Ingenious-design-of-small-home-with-split-upper-levels-and-ample-natural-light-41098-217x155

Beautifully-illuminated-entry-of-the-modern-Japanese-home-23840-217x155

Look-at-the-busy-and-congested-neighborhood-arounc-House-in-Shukugawa-by-FujiwaraMuro-Architects-14121-217x155

It is the design of the open plan living area that is the real highlight in here with a split-level that ensures that the small area feels much bigger than it really ease. Large windows bring in ample natural light into the kitchen with smart reading zones, study areas and sitting nooks making most of the green views in different directions. The split level floor plan also allows the residents to have a lovely family time even while giving semi-private workstations and relaxation zones when needed. It is a home that feels different in more ways than one! [Photography: Naoki Yoshikawa]

Making-most-of-space-inside-the-small-Japanese-home-with-custom-reading-nooks-that-offer-storage-45396 — Making most of space inside the small Japanese home with custom reading nooks that offer storage

Second-floor-dining-area-and-kitchen-of-the-small-Japanese-home-82405 — Second floor dining area and kitchen of the small Japanese home

Smart-niches-on-the-upper-level-living-area-along-with-the-split-levels-ensure-that-there-is-ample-privacy-77779 — Smart niches on the upper level living area along with the split levels ensure that there is ample privacy

Split-level-dining-area-kitchen-and-living-room-of-the-home-along-with-the-Japanese-room-19112 — Split-level dining area, kitchen and living room of the home along with the Japanese room

In the densely developed districts of Osaka, this type of long, narrow property is common… However, in Osaka, building coverage area (BCA) and floor-area ratio (FAR) regulations are lenient, allowing for a relatively large percentage of a given property to be built up. By contrast, in the Shukugawa district of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture (just west of Osaka), BCA is limited to 40 percent and FAR to 100 percent