One of the least human-centered designs, it seems to exist as a testament to the architect's CAD ability and to the materials, but where is the room for art, for private moments? Even the noise between mezzanines is unblocked so radios, TVs, conversations all compete. Is there any chance it will be cluttered with curtains, cats, and kids before someone just says, "that's pointless" and replaces it?

Funny the master bedroom has a curtain rail track around the perimeter obviously intended for privacy. But no curtain fitted... Yet.

A house for an anaemic, exhibitionist MC Escher fan?

When will some of these Japanese architects wake up and realise that architecture is not a game? That they are often designing houses that are too smart for their own good? A house like this would be perfectly habitable if the Japanese were not human beings, and if privacy and intimacy absolutely do not apply to them. But this is obviously not true for us human beings. So are these architects feeding their own egos, or are they actually serving their clients? Japanese houses are so unique and beautiful, but sometimes, they cross the threshold of what's livable and practical.

It's shockingly beautiful in concept. But in reality not so much fun. I saw pictures of owner putting up curtain which totally defeats the original intended aesthetic. Like a lot of Japanese houses, by using illusion the house looks amazingly bigger than it really is, but once the furnitures is put into the house the illusion is completely gone when we can now clearly see the true scale of the tiny house. That is exactly why they took photos of the house without any furniture.

Where do they have sex?

As stated in the text and also clearly visible in section 1: "A master bedroom, bathroom and storage area occupy the lowest floor of the house, which is sunken below ground level by almost two metres."

They don't.

I can see this design in a rural setting but definitely not in an urban setting like here. I also question the vertical support structure! Sky-hooks maybe?

And not a theft was reported...

I've yet to have had the privilege of designing for exhibitionists, and this in tightly packed Japan of all places.

Kind of like when your lady returns from the hairdresser and you ask, "Why didn't they finish."

A diagram. Nothing more. And yeah, that's that great view!

http://www.architectmagazin...

First thought: too f*ing many stairs! And, isn't Japan a magnet for earthquakes, tsunamis, and atomic bombs? How will this place survive the first tremor?

The nevernude's house.

Is Tokyo the ugliest city in the world? Every new Tokyo building you feature is set in an urban backwater, a bleak concrete desert. The streets are alleys of utility, poles and wires. No neighbourhoods, all city.

That city is composed of mostly human-scale dwellings with unexpected cul-de-sacs, narrow and non-straight streets, which provide constant surprises. There are extremely few large, tall, blank brick or concrete walls. Every effort is made to make use of the tiniest of space in a quirky and interesting manner. The Japanese also excel at mixing residential spaces with business spaces. There is no black-and-white zoning regulations that designate certain neighbourhoods as one or the other. Why should they be separated?

That so-called house is a terrible waste of space in a city that has so little of it. It's a silly, impractical project constructed just to show that it could be done; such a small amount of actual living space; such a waste of materials and natural resources; such a disconnect with nature; so dehumanising. It is merely an expensive sculptural, architectural experiment.

A very strange place to put a sculpture.

The client is too rich and too vain for his or her own butt. To maintain the bloody while elephant will be a god sent money-maker for the cleaners, painters and laundry men washing copious amounts of white window curtains. That said, some one had to pay for this experiment and it is all good for stains and pigeons.

Designers had their fun, took loads of photos and all. But now, the neighbourhood is taking back it's multi-story car park.

In a forest, fine. But in an alley? Why?

Japanese alleys are inhabited by alley cats, and the people are just normal suburbanites, going about their daily lives and acting very Japanese. They occupy their time with culture, like flower arranging, handmade paper, manga, all sorts of hobbies to keep them content and thus prevent them from sinking into lurid instincts like looking into the private lives of their next-door neighbours.

Looks like split-level hell.

House for the physically challenged perhaps? Good exercise those stairs...

They better look gorgeous AND be amazing in bed AND behave when indoors. We, the concerned neighbours, will be watching... forever.

It could well be an awkward design to live with in those brief moments of passion!

Beautifully impractical.

This house is fantastic; it is light, and yet solid. Wonderful.

Infuriating to live in but fun for visitors!

Interesting but not habitable.

That's subjective. I couldn't live in it simply because I would not subject people to that, but definitely one of the most interesting products I've seen in housing.
Just a thought – considering the cost of the house why not just go ahead and make the glass tint change for privacy when desired?

According to who? Why would they spend nearly a lifetime's income on a custom-designed house if it wasn't habitable?

Ok so obviously this house is unliveable for anyone but exhibitionists, but I still find the project really very interesting. It's the love child of Domino House, Farnsworth House and Villa Müller refined with that quirky elegance of Japanese architecture.

Would be an amazing job to furnish and decorate it.

The inhabitants would be exhibitionists had they believed people actually stare. The Japanese, if they are governed by anything, would be aesthetics and generally refined, controlled demeanours. No Japanese would risk ostracism from society by being caught swaying from the norm and stare. You're just projecting your society's values onto theirs, Rafael.

They couldn't AVOID looking at the house, even just with their peripheral vision.

One of those... the Japanese! As slick and reduced that design splendour is (even if only theatrical), can anybody come up with a workable solution to the power line pollution so typical in Japan?

I like the power line in to the structure. Fits it perfectly, like they bought it, dropped it in place and plugged it in.

The power lines add complexity to the urban fabric, be it visual or conceptual. Why rid of what is essentially an interesting aesthetic element? Ordered chaos is what makes Japanese aesthetics compelling. Focusing on a minor, irrelevant "nuisance" like that overlooks the bigger picture of Japanese urban design.

Someone still believes in Corbusier. This is an excellent example of the transparency our lives provide via government eavesdropping. We might as well all be living in glass houses.

Practically, this is a nightmare. Cleaning, insulating, privacy, security, and sound are virtually unthought of. It is a fun study, and likely a costly one.

Only in Japan...

Where do you store the 50 gallon drums of glass cleaner? (It's super neat looking though, I kid a little.)

Wow... it is a really amazing project!
I am pretty sure this transparent facade will be the next trend over there!
Awesome stuff!