Abax Architects

The Simple House｜Custom Home Examples by Architectural Offices17Picks｜The Richness of Negative Space

Author: Qurasuki Editorial Department

A "simple house" is not merely an empty space; it is a residence in which requisite elements are precisely arranged and materials, light, and spatial relationships are in quiet harmony. By removing unnecessary ornamentation, toning down the palette, and clarifying circulation, a sense of calm and comfort is generated in everyday life. In pursuing simplicity, the design office engages in thorough and meticulous examination of details—such as material textures, the proportions of openings, and the balance of ceiling heights. Beneath the apparent visual restraint resides a rich design intention. Here we introduce an example of a refined, simple dwelling where family life can unfold serenely.

The Simple House

Takamatsu Shio-ue House

ARCHIXXX Satoru Shinno Architectural Design

This residence was planned for a densely built-up residential area in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, where condominiums and other buildings stand side by side. A courtyard house and split-level floors were combined to secure light and a sense of openness while skillfully screening views from the surrounding area. Two courtyards were placed at the center of the building, protecting privacy from outside while bringing natural light and air into each space. Light also enters the four-car inner garage from the courtyards, keeping it bright during the day. Within the dense urban environment, the house creates a rich inward-looking way of living.

A House Opening Inward to Light and a Terrace

AtelierMA

Set amid a dense urban residential setting, this three-story timber home deftly embraces light and a sense of spaciousness. A terrace is incorporated into its simple exterior, creating a calm streetscape while preserving privacy. Centered around a double-height void, the layout gently connects the floors, while light entering through clerestory windows lends the spaces a rich and varied character. A design that allows the presence of family members to be sensed throughout the home, together with open spaces that softly connect indoors and out, creates a comfortable sense of breathing room in urban life.

Steps V

Hirotaka Sato Architects

Although it is a two-story wooden house, its five floor levels gently connect the spaces throughout the home. A void, loft, underfloor storage, and terrace are integrated into the changes in level, creating a rich sense of spaciousness and functionality within a limited volume. By connecting the first floor continuously to the rooftop, the house achieves a cohesive way of living in which the presence and voices of family members naturally reach one another. The exterior walls are clad in yakisugi, while thermal-storage radiant floor heating provides both comfort and energy efficiency.

Main House and Detached Residence

Mochizuki Architectural Atelier

This project is the reconstruction of a mixed-use residence with an on-site pharmacy, long operated by the previous generation in the Tama suburbs. The site is elongated north–south; although a courtyard-type plan was initially considered, geomantic and house-configuration considerations led to dividing the program and advancing a two-building scheme comprising the main house and a separate shop building. The main house is a single-storey hipped-roof dwelling with generous eaves, while the shop building uses a gabled roof and a light, articulated design that accents the façade. The interior employs natural materials, with a design intent to achieve both a sense of cleanliness and a warm atmosphere.

N FLAT

kurachiffon Miki Takiuchi First-Class Architect’s Office

This renovation transforms the top-floor, 80-square-meter apartment, built 45 years ago, into a home where the residents can restore their physical and mental well-being in their own way. Making the most of the dynamic views toward Shinjuku and the high ceilings, the design creates a serene space centered on concrete beams and a monochrome palette. A blue entrance door, green accents, and artworks by friends add touches of color. With a mortar-finished bathroom and a kitchen with a counter facing the living space, the home combines the comfort of being released from the demands of busy everyday life with an openness that naturally draws people together.

KAN

JYU ARCHITECT

This apartment renovation maximizes the views from the 10th floor. Situated on a site blessed with city views to the east and Mount Fuji to the southwest, the layout of private rooms and the kitchen was reorganized so that the landscape can be enjoyed in everyday life. The shared space opens widely toward the views, the previously underutilized east deck was regenerated as an outdoor room connected to the kitchen, and movable partitions were introduced to reconcile openness with flexible use, creating a living environment that balances spaciousness and adaptability.

House Living with the Sky

Archiplace

This dwelling, designed for a couple in their thirties and their child, adopts a simple, modern and natural aesthetic. To comply with strict area and height regulations, part of the volume is sunk as a semi‑basement, above which a two‑storey timber structure is arranged. A split‑level configuration from the semi‑basement up to the loft produces a sense of spatial expansiveness and an efficient domestic circulation. On the south side a walled deck terrace provides an outdoor space that integrates with the living‑dining‑kitchen, admitting light and ventilation so occupants can feel connected to nature despite the urban location.

Park Street House

KICHI ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

This residence, sited adjacent to a park in the city center, articulates a distinctive spatial composition through a triangular floor plan. It gently screens external sightlines while maintaining an open spatial character. An integrated rental space reconciles the need for privacy with a calibrated openness to the public realm. Internally, the program is compact and efficiently arranged, with streamlined circulation that connects the spaces without wasted movement.

House on Midori Hill

Abax Architects

A mixed-structure residence with a reinforced-concrete basement and a two‑storey timber construction, located in an upscale residential neighborhood in Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture. The double‑height living room, which serves as the heart of the home, faces a large south‑facing garden and forms an open space where interior and exterior are gently connected. The exterior is composed simply, and the interior is kept uncluttered by restraining unnecessary elements. By carefully refining materials and composition, the dwelling achieves a coexistence of tranquility and refined quality.

House in Oimazato

Kumi Inoue Architects

Situated on a corner lot fronting roads on three sides, this residence is designed for elderly occupants. A broad roof and enclosing walls shield the living spaces from external noise, while a daylighting strategy employing a courtyard, terraces and stepped roof planes creates an interior that is simultaneously sheltered and spacious. Clerestory windows and glass block panels admit soft natural light, preserve privacy from the street and ensure a bright, comfortable indoor environment. Sloped ceilings connect the corridor and rooms in a gentle sequence, allowing light and directed sightlines to pass through, resulting in a home that combines a sense of security with spatial richness.

HE10 — AICA Project Example Contest, Excellence Award

YIA Ishiue Yoshihiro Architectural Design Office

The site is located on the mid‑slope of Mount Ikoma. It is a flag lot with access from the east; to the west are views of Osaka Bay, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge and the Rokko mountains, and to the north a cluster of cherry trees. The LDK is placed on the second floor to secure elevation and incorporate changing surroundings and vistas. A transparent entrance hall is located in the flagpole access strip, and intersecting stairs guide sightlines, connecting to the LDK through cuts in the ceiling and wall. A deep, L‑shaped, frame‑like balcony establishes continuity from interior to exterior. The ceiling is a modified gable form with exposed ascending rafters.

Shimogamo House — Condominium Renovation with Terrace

Tokuhiro Norimatsu Architect

This residence has been reconfigured around a simple, monochrome interior palette. The existing layout was re-evaluated, and while providing a bedroom, two children’s rooms, and a study, the dining kitchen was relocated to a position adjacent to the terrace. By carefully adjusting partitions while capitalizing on the character of the structural frame and openings, an open space was created that allows unobstructed sightlines to the Kamo River landscape beyond the terrace. Centered on a living room for spending time with the family dog, the home provides a comfortable setting where the family naturally gathers.

starry

*studioLOOP Architects

Located in the suburbs of Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, this home connects the lives of three generations. By placing the LDK at the center and arranging the rooms to extend radially, it creates a hub of interaction where family members can naturally sense one another’s presence. Double-height spaces to the north and south invite light and air, while low openings guide views toward the garden and large north-facing windows frame views of the sky. Its windmill-like, articulated form embraces the changing seasons and the richness of everyday life.

House Beside the Park

Yu Architectural Design Studio

An architect’s own house and atelier facing a park. Despite its compact scale—with a total floor area of 28 tsubo—a sense of spaciousness is achieved by flexibly connecting the various spaces. The placement and size of the windows were carefully planned to maximize natural forces such as light and breezes, creating a residence that is comfortable throughout the year. Wood, steel, mortar, and washi paper are harmonized to produce spaces with rich tactile qualities. It is a home where living and work, and functionality and beauty, coexist comfortably.

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.

Unison

Yosuke Tomiya Architectural Design Co., Ltd.

This home was planned from the initial land-search stage to suit the family’s lifestyle. It features a soundproof room for dancing, music, and home theater, creating a space where hobbies and everyday life coexist naturally. The L-shaped living, dining, and kitchen area takes in light from the south and east, ensuring a bright and open environment. In addition, a variety of places to spend time—such as a loft-style workspace, split-level floors, and a raised second living room—are thoughtfully distributed throughout the home, allowing each family member to enjoy their own comfortable sense of distance from one another.

Flat with Raised Seating Area and Through-Passage | Tranquil House

Yoshihiro Yamamoto Architects Associates