Kumi Inoue Architects

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

Author: Qurasuki Editorial Department

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.

Single-Story Houses

House in Tajimi

Tada Architectural Design Office

Renovation of an approximately 60‑year‑old family single‑storey house in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture. The design preserves the proportions of the tiled roof and converts the south‑facing wide veranda into an earthen‑floored transitional space (doma), allowing the conditioned living area to be reduced in winter and opened to the doma in summer to facilitate cross‑ventilation. From the entrance, a lane‑like circulation space provides direct access to the guest room and powder room. The living/dining/kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and toilet are arranged in a loop and composed as a single open volume subdivided by operable partitions, promoting thermal uniformity between spaces.

House Overlooking the Garage

Mochizuki Architectural Atelier

A single‑storey residence that maximizes the generous, nature‑rich suburban site. Because the locality allows a standalone garage, the parking is arranged as a detached outbuilding. The plan orients the living room and study to face the garage across the garden, and an L‑shaped building form creates a courtyard to ensure privacy. The exterior is expressed as a simple, streamlined composition beneath a mono‑pitched roof, while the interior features sloped ceilings and timber‑based finishes.

House in Higashiura

Kumi Inoue Architects

This residence is situated on a hill in Higashiura on Awaji Island. Positioned on a site overlooking Osaka Bay, it was conceived with a priority on health and comfort. Making the most of the easterly views, the rooms are arranged in a gentle staggered (stepped) configuration along the site’s elongated north–south axis, and a series of high‑ceiling volumes is linked beneath an expansive roof. Fresh air is drawn in from under the floor and circulated throughout the interior, creating a healthy living environment that is also attentive to the family’s physiological needs.

Forest Living

KICHI ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

“Forest Living” is a single-story residence situated within a dense forest. The exterior is clad in traditional Japanese yakisugi (charred cedar), whose subdued black finish naturally melds with the surrounding woodland landscape. The building is organized on a single level, with a plan that provides forest views from every room. By experiencing the expanse of greenery through the windows, occupants are afforded a quiet, tranquil mode of living.

A Small Single-Story House on a Sloped Site

12mm Architects

This single‑storey house with a compact square plan is sited on a sloping lot facing a mixed broadleaf grove in Moriyama Ward, Nagoya. It is designed to fit on the level terrace located mid‑site, where ground level varies between 1.2 and 5.4 meters. The plan and section explore the theme “enfolding a sense of scale within smallness,” expressed as a 12‑tsubo (approximately 40 m²) studio with minimized partitions. Materials, colors, and forms are to be informed by detailed interviews about the client’s existing furniture, lighting, belongings, lifestyle, and preferences, and integrated into the design. On the two façades that do not face the trees, conventional windows are generally omitted, while the entire south elevation is opened.

A Small House Composed of Three Connected Boxes (Large, Medium, Small) | Tsuzura House

Yoshihiro Yamamoto Architects Associates

A compact residence for a single occupant sited on a generous suburban plot. Primary functions—sleeping, dining, and working—are consolidated within a large open-plan space that is subtly subdivided by curtains to create flexible separations and efficient domestic circulation. Support functions—wet areas, storage, and a guest room—are articulated as a series of interlocking volumes of varying scale. The building is positioned centrally on the site to maintain a buffer from the surrounding context. Designed with high levels of airtightness and thermal insulation, the project proposes a new approach to suburban living.

House in Komoro

KASA ARCHITECTS

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.

House with a Light Well

Yu Architectural Design Studio

Single-storey house of 17 tsubo (approximately 56 m²) situated in a residential neighborhood in Ichikawa. Three‑storey buildings line the east and south sides, and the previous dwelling suffered from poor daylight penetration, resulting in a dark interior. By introducing a central double‑height void (light well) fitted with clerestory windows, the design admits solar daylight throughout the interior and achieves a bright spatial quality. The exterior is clad in charred cedar (yakisugi), and a gabled roof creates a distinctive yet contextually sympathetic façade.

A Courtyard Where the Wind Flows Through

Mitsuhiro Kojima Architects