Single-Story Houses｜Custom-built homes by architecture firms9Picks｜A Grounded, Enriched Lifestyle

Single-story houses that consolidate all living spaces on a single level offer a mode of living distinct from two-storey homes: stair-free, easy circulation; expansive interiors that take advantage of ceiling heights and roof forms; and a strong sense of integration with the garden. They attract attention as a comfortable housing type across a range of life stages—from families with young children to seniors planning for future barrier-free living. At the same time, such houses can require larger site areas and demand careful design strategies to ensure privacy and adequate daylighting. Architectural practices, by carefully reading site geometry and the surrounding context, propose homes that maximize the unique richness of single-story living.

A single-storey timber house on a corner lot in Habikino City, Osaka Prefecture. The plan was revised to eliminate a second floor, utilizing the gable roof pitch to create sloped ceilings and an open spatial quality. The LDK is arranged in a staggered sequence around a courtyard, providing extended sightlines and diverse living zones. Private rooms are dispersed to maintain appropriate distances between family members. The interior is finished in a restrained black palette for a calm, hotel-like atmosphere.

Located in the rich natural environment of Saijō City, Ehime Prefecture, this single‑story residence has a ceiling height of 3,950 mm. Although the client originally requested a two‑storey house, we proposed a single‑storey dwelling that achieves the sense of openness of a double‑height atrium. High ceilings, southern daylighting, and a ventilation strategy using clerestory windows produce a spacious, comfortable living environment. Beyond an approach enveloped by the large roof are an entrance facing the courtyard and a space for displaying bicycles. A nure‑en (shallow covered veranda) gently links interior and exterior, bringing a generous spatial continuity to daily life. The home carefully shapes the sense of ease and expansiveness that its height provides.

This single‑storey dwelling was built on a lot adjacent to the wife’s family home, designed for the family and their dog. The couple, who relocated from Shonan, chose to live near the sea when remote work became an opportunity. Seeking an environment for the husband who enjoys surfing and for their dog to run freely in the garden, they created a new place to live. Centered on an LDK (living–dining–kitchen) that opens onto a south‑facing wood deck, the layout is organized like an open‑plan, one‑room arrangement in which the various spaces are gently connected. It is a "nestle" home where the family naturally comes together and cultivates tranquil time.

This is a final residence for a married couple located in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture. The approximately 60-year-old family home was renovated, preserving the dignified presence of the beautiful tiled roof while achieving a comfortable living environment adapted to the local climate. The south-facing hiroen (wide veranda) was reconfigured into a doma (earthen-floored) space, creating an expansive dwelling that admits seasonal breezes and natural light. With an eye to the future possibility of opening a small restaurant, a lane-like approach and a guest room were planned. The plan is arranged as a one-room-like composition that allows continuous circulation from the LDK (living/dining/kitchen) to the bedroom and wet areas, delivering a comfortable, tranquil living environment with minimal temperature differentials.

This is a small single‑story house with a total floor area of 17 tsubo, located in a residential neighborhood of Ichikawa City. Facing challenging daylighting conditions caused by surrounding taller houses, the design places a double‑height “light well” at the center of the home to deliver natural light to every corner of the interior. Light entering through clerestory windows brings brightness and a sense of spaciousness, creating a compact yet expansive living environment. The exterior employs yakisugi charred‑cedar cladding and a gabled roof, producing an impressive presence that calmly harmonizes with the streetscape. The residence carefully draws out the richness unique to a small single‑story house.

This single-story residence in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture, is occupied by a couple and their two children. Taking advantage of site conditions with views of Mount Asama to the north and the Yatsugatake range to the south, the design is a simple dwelling with a mono-pitched roof that opens broadly to the south. To mitigate strong northerly winds in winter, north-facing openings are minimized, while the layout facilitates comfortable cross-ventilation from seasonal breezes. Deep eaves temper the summer sun, and the low, elongated horizontal lines impart a calm, composed presence.

This is a small, single-story house of 12 tsubo built on a sloping site adjacent to a mixed woodland in Moriyama Ward, Nagoya. The square building, gently placed on the mid-slope of a site with level changes, was planned under the theme "enveloping a sense of largeness within a small footprint." The interior is an open-plan, one-room layout with minimal partitions—a highly flexible space that carefully incorporates daily life, hobbies, and cherished furniture. Large openings face the woodland, allowing occupants to experience light and breeze shifting through the trees and the seasonal changes. It is a rich residence quietly connected to nature.

A generous resort house that takes advantage of the site's changes in elevation.

Design commenced several years ago after we were consulted from the site‑selection stage. The site is a south‑facing, 150‑tsubo (approximately 496 m²) plot with views toward Mount Takao. The exterior is conceived as a generous, earth‑hugging form, while the interior is organized to evoke a strong connection with nature. The program is a single‑storey building combining a family residence, a midwifery clinic, and an attached garage, with a plan arranged so that every room has views of the Takao mountains. The section makes use of the roof volume, expressed as a large gabled roof.