House H, Tokyo by Sou Fujimoto Architects

November 18, 2009 · 20 comments

in Design, Fashion & Architecture

The Japanese architects continue to impress me, you might have seen the Fukuyama Dentist Clinic before, and maybe the Sosushi Sushi Bar in Turin (by Italian architects though), this time it’s a house named “House H” by Sou Fujimoto Architects.

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects1

Via CubeMe:

Fujimoto seized the opportunity to extend his research into the potential of primitive forms to create complex responses to contemporary needs. Its new experiment was to find a balance between volumes, spaces and light.
Dealing innovatively with Japan’s strict plot ratio regulations, Fujimoto has avoided the conventions of creating a courtyard or of setting a house as an isolated object within the site boundary. Instead it is a hybrid; a series of boxes in boxes that define domestic realm, enclosure and interior.

I’ve been very much into the all-white approach lately, but unfortunately when you have a mother at home you can’t do whatever you like with your space, but I did paint my walls white^^

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects2

Stairs up to the roof? Hell yeah! I think it would be good with some kind of fence on the edges though…

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects3

Super clean place, love the frosted glass behind the couch too, but where’s the TV?

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects4

I’d turn that into a jacuzzi since I don’t have any kids.

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects5

Just by looking at these pictures it makes my stomach tingle, glass floor? I’d be both excited and scared to step on that^^

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects6

Wood and white always works, not a big fan of the dark dinner table though.

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects7

Suicide stairs?

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects8

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects9

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects10

House_H_Tokyo_Sou_Fujimoto_Architects11

It’s a very cool house, but nowhere I’d want to be in an earthquake, I wouldn’t feel safe anywhere with glass floors and suicide stairs. What about you? Would you stay here if you got the chance?

Related posts:

  1. House in Minamibōsō, Chiba
  2. Modern(?) Design Building Entrance in Tokyo
  3. Boat House in Akasaka
  4. What is the First Thing I Should Do in Tokyo?
  5. Widjedal, Racki, Bergerhoff house in Stockholm, Sweden

Leave a Comment

{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

Brad F. November 18, 2009 at 6:41 pm

The house has a lot of glass and it seems like you can see into it from the street very easily. While that may be all well and good if you’re dressed and in the living room, I would want more privacy than that for the bedroom. Also, I don’t see any curtains. Beyond that, privacy is also an important need between family members. We all want our own space (especially teenagers) and we don’t want everyone to be able to peer into it through glass walls and floors.

So, unless these windows can frost over at the touch of a button, like pulling shades, then I think I’d pass. It’s a great idea, but it doesn’t meet most people’s need for privacy.

Reply

yonasu November 18, 2009 at 8:13 pm

Yeah, privacy between family members is a bit of a problem… Frosting windows would indeed be a great solution though, since some windows in the pictures have that, maybe all of them do. I wouldn’t pass now but if I was older and had kids I would probably look at it like you do.

Hoolan November 18, 2009 at 6:54 pm

Simple living is the best living and I think this house would be perfect for that. But I have a slight problem with there not being anything to cover the giant hole in the roof where the staircase is.
You’d have to be really careful what you do in the house as well ;) Don’t want the neighbours knowing your habits.

Reply

yonasu November 18, 2009 at 8:18 pm

Well, the two top floors are there instead of the backyard, that’s why it’s all open. In Japan you often have a very limited amount of space to build your house on, that’s where ideas like this come from, the backyard doesn’t actually have to be on the back of the house^^

But yeah, if the windows can’t frost there’s little to no privacy in this house.

Katie November 18, 2009 at 8:37 pm

While this design is beautiful and I love the elegant horizontal shapes, it would freak me out completely. It has a slight Escher quality to it that makes me confused about who could see me scratching my arse (not something I do often, mind).

Not for skittish people or children I think – imagine the fingerprints after 1 day :) But considering the low birthrate in Japan, perhaps this would fare better with a young couple in the photos?

Reply

yonasu November 18, 2009 at 10:56 pm

I think it would work well for a family like the one shown in the pictures, but when the kid(s) grow up they’re going to want privacy so they’d have to do something about that then. As long as the windows are “frostable” I’d be happy to live there, even I want some privacy every now and then!

Jamaipanese November 18, 2009 at 9:58 pm

now thats what you call ultra modern architecture.

Reply

hikky November 18, 2009 at 10:43 pm

The general approach looks really good but I would prefer metal stairs and elements instead of those weird wood things. (Yah, I can’t stand stuff with wooden structure.)

And no way I could live with that glass floor. I guess I’d end up going around it on the edges every time. ^^; There’s also a notable lack of huge screens on those nice white walls!

Reply

yonasu November 18, 2009 at 11:01 pm

Metal would work well, but I like wood. Metal stairs would be pretty noisy though, maybe not a great idea unless you want to wake up your whole family at night^^

I think I’d get used to the glass floors, I’d need a wife who loves to clean though because they would probably get dirty all the time…

TicTaek November 19, 2009 at 4:02 am

This house is full of pure win in my books. I love the simple yet abstract look of the whole house. Plus, stairs to the roof would make night star gazing so easy and enjoyable. Might be a little unsafe, but eh, nothing like living on the “wild” side.

In terms of privacy, doesn’t bother me at all. I’d have no problem busting a move to a song while people standing outside look at me with puzzled “wtf” looks. Priceless.

I give this house 10 picket fences out of 10.

Reply

yonasu November 19, 2009 at 12:09 pm

Seeing as it’s only opened up at the top floors it should be alright, but it would make a great headline if the burglars entered from the roof^^

I wouldn’t have any problems with dancing and doing weird things in this house but I’d make sure to not walk around naked!

TicTaek November 19, 2009 at 2:36 pm

Guess I didn’t think about safety. Ah well, there is barely anything in this house to steal anyways it seems as the people in the pictures seem very minimalistic.

I would definitely setup some sort of chaos trap on the roof though. If you wanna mess with my odd/cool house, you’re going to pay. mwhahah

Densha Otoko November 19, 2009 at 7:02 am

Suicide Stairs is for Japanese who have dificult problems in life .

Glass floors is like your standing on air which is kinda creepy .

I would stay there for a few days but wouldn’t want to live there no matter how cheap it is .

Reply

yonasu November 19, 2009 at 12:11 pm

Yeah I’ve stood on glass before as well, it’s a weird feeling for sure. It’s the same thing when you’re standing right behind the drivers window on a train, makes you feel like you’re levitating^^

Sonokamome November 21, 2009 at 10:35 am

Even if it did have glass floors and suicide stairs. It’s a house worth living in because it’s never boring to live in such places, so it’s not just about having a roof over your head, it’s an experience of win. Enough said.

Reply

David John Shewsbury November 25, 2009 at 4:59 am

Marvelous…. thic concept design is extremely marvelous… I wonder how cheap/expensive it is… well, apart from worrying about earthquake effects…. I don’t mind to stay in this kind of house….

Reply

{ 4 trackbacks }

Previous post:

Next post: