This Small House by Kazuyo Sejima is a 4-story residence for a young couple and their small child on a compact site in the heart of downtown Tokyo, at the end of a short cul-desac in densely-populated Tokyo’s elite Aoyama district. It resembles a miniature tower rising on 77 sq m of floor area on an allowable imprint of 36, which precisely measures 60 sq m in its entirety. The shape of the design itself is subject to zoning and light restrictions. Facade consists of translucent glass and galvanized steel with a light impression, which provide the wrapping for this slick, futuristic, domestic container.

The house is wrapped in opalescent glass and galvanized steel with a vein-like standing seam. From the lane, there are only glimpses of life through the house’s western translucent zone and occasional small transparent panels. The client unwilling to expand the views out, as the house overlooks the Sony establishment where the husband works as a product designer. A vertical pavilion almost touching its easterly neighbour, the Small House expands and sways up from a small footprint and then returns almost to footprint size as it tapers to a roof terrace.

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