Japan's insanely tiny homes are the future of cities

Tinyhomes are exotic to many of us, but they are extraordinarily functional as a reprieve from thebusy neighborhoods of Tokyo.As I discuss in my book, "The Hyperlocalization of Architecture," the secret to these Japanese tiny houses is not only the imaginative designs, influenced by centuries-old traditions, but also how they are connected to walkableneighborhoods.By embracing the public realm as anextended living space,with local restaurants, parks, publictransportation, and other amenities, the need for private space is reduced.Since privacy has not historically been a design priority in Japan, architects have freedom to open up small spaces, designinginteriors that are visually, functionally, and psychologically larger than theyseem.The future of civilization is well-designed cities, and the future of cities iswell-designed small livingspaces.Located on a plot of land measuring 108 square feet, Cell Brick is no wider than the adjoining crosswalk. Steel boxes were bolted together in small sections off site and stacked like Tetris bricks to create an intricate and highly functional interior.Creating capacity for storage is one of the most daunting challenges in a small home. By inverting the problem and making the structure the shelving, the design merges two separate design tasks.House Tokyo masters light by letting it slip in from above, past the glazed deck and bath, through the suspended stair and glass floor, and onto the sunken living space. The interior is only 256 square feet in a footprint that completely fills the tiny corner lot.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Click here to read full news..