Column
 Homes for Design Enthusiasts
Abax Architects
Abax Architects

Homes for Design Enthusiasts｜Custom-built homes by architecture firms9Picks｜A Home Infused with Aesthetic Sensibility

Author: Qurasuki Editorial Department
When a client with a deep interest in design commissions a house, the dwelling itself can become a singular work of art. From furniture selection and material pairings to lighting strategies and the resolution of detailing, an aesthetic sensibility toward design is exercised in every aspect of the home. In collaboration with an architectural practice, the client's stylistic preferences—whether modern, organic, editorial, or otherwise—are carefully interpreted, allowing the space to be articulated in a consistent design language from architectural composition to the minutiae of interior finishes. We present residences suffused with bespoke design qualities that cannot be obtained from off-the-shelf products.

Homes for Design Enthusiasts

FOLD

JYU ARCHITECT
A fully separated two‑generation residence with high thermal insulation, incorporating a seismic‑damping system in addition to seismic performance grade 3. Because the surroundings are crowded with speculative housing and adjacent houses, making good views difficult to obtain, a courtyard‑house typology was adopted to secure privacy while admitting daylight and natural ventilation. On the street side, the building mass is restrained out of consideration for the streetscape, and a sloping wall is used to articulate the relationship with the neighborhood. Internally, a looped circulation, changes in floor levels, and manipulation of ceiling heights generate a variety of spatial settings, and together with natural materials form a comfortable living environment.

sha-la Tsukuba House

e do design architects
This is a family residence planned on a 30-tsubo site in a residential neighborhood near Dōhō Park in Tsukuba. On the limited site, diagonal lines were introduced to reconcile a garage and a garden and to deftly guide light and sightlines. Two diagonal walls that give depth and character to the exterior, together with a spiral staircase that pierces the center of the house, create a rich sense of spatial expansiveness. With light delivered through a skylight and the staircase acting as the axis that connects the family’s presence, the dwelling unfolds into a refreshing, softly articulated home.

House with Extended Eaves

an Archi-Lab. First-Class Architect Office
This is an urban residence designed for a dual-income couple and their children. While demanding high functionality on a limited site—including five private rooms, ample storage, a garage, and an elevator—the design transforms the residual spaces created by skillfully carving the building into enhanced qualities of the living environment. Beneath a large overhanging eave that covers the entire site are arranged a front garden, circulation pathways, and bicycle parking, and a three-story atrium stairwell channels daylight and natural ventilation. The dwelling reconciles a high-density program with a sense of openness, proposing a new richness for urban housing.

Renovation of an Urban Residence Retaining a Kura | Abeno Residence

Yoshihiro Yamamoto Architects Associates
The former residence in Abeno comprised multiple structures, retaining complex hip-and-gable roof framing, massive large-section beams, and thick solid timber floorboards. A high‑ceilinged living–dining–kitchen (LDK) was located at the center of the main house, and a looped circulation scheme was established that passes through the entrance and wet areas. The formal entry platform and floorboards were repurposed as stair elements and bespoke joinery; paper sliding screens and framed doors were repaired, reconfigured, and reused. Later additions and a detached outbuilding were removed, and waterproofing, structural capacity, and daylighting were rationalized.

House in Hikone

Kumi Inoue Architects
This residence is situated in a calm residential area near Hikone Castle. Although it faces a busy road, a configuration alternating large and small building volumes with courtyards was adopted to realize a quiet, enriched way of life. The “alley” that runs through these elements is not merely a circulation route; it gently connects with the living spaces and courtyards, bringing depth and variation to the spatial composition. Sightlines, wind, and light pass between the buildings and courtyards, creating a variety of places to inhabit within a serene stillness. A succession of sloped ceilings clad in bamboo translates the roof’s articulated expression into the interior, and the soft tactile quality of natural materials envelops the entire residence.

emsh

「ha」 hosaka hironobu architect associate
A minimalist residence composed exclusively of three colors—white, black, and silver. Square apertures, skillfully arranged in varying sizes, punctuate the envelope to frame interior and exterior views and everyday moments as if they were framed artworks. Precisely calculated details establish a disciplined order within the spaces, allowing light and breeze to circulate comfortably throughout the building. Moreover, the furniture and interior fittings selected by the occupants respond to the architecture, further heightening its purity. A tranquil, refined home that beautifully enhances everyday life.

Boko & Deko

Mitsuhiro Kojima Architects
This residence stands on a corner lot in a densely built residential area. By arranging storage bands to the east and west, the design secures distance from the surroundings and places a generous open-plan one-room space for the family at the center. While carefully controlling light, air flow, and sightlines, changes in floor level and the inclusion of stairs and ramps produce a variety of distinct places to inhabit. Meanwhile, the private rooms open onto terraces, promoting gentle interaction with the neighborhood. By inverting the typical residential relationship of “opening the family room and closing the private rooms,” the house simultaneously cultivates familial intimacy and connections with the local community.

COCHE — Residence with an Integrated Garage for the Beloved Vehicle

YIA Ishiue Yoshihiro Architectural Design Office
Situated on a rectangular site in Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture, the residence fronts a 6.0 m wide road to the south and places a built-in garage for car and bicycle storage toward the street. While the garage roof affords views of fireworks, the street-facing presence is softened by arranging front-to-back volumes of differing heights and by composing a black exterior skin with white interior surfaces. An interior courtyard is inserted to secure a flat sequence of movement—street → garage → courtyard → living room → bedroom—while a projecting portion facing the street contains a tatami alcove and a loft.

House in Asahi Ward

Coo Planning
A residence in a housing area of Asahi Ward, Osaka City, notable for the striking contrast between its closed exterior and its warm interior spaces. In response to a site surrounded by neighboring houses, no openings were deliberately provided on the front façade to ensure privacy. The neat black Galvalume steel exterior acquires an even sharper expression through long‑length single‑seam cladding. Inside, larch plywood is used, and natural light richly reveals the texture of the wood grain. As time passes the materials’ patina deepens, and the home matures together with the family.