66.24 square meters Japanese house

This property is called the Ant-House for a very simple reason: its wooden interior design and partitioned structure that create a series of similarities between the house and the popular ant farm. The property is located in Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan and it occupies an area of 66.24 square meters with a plot area of 241.12 square meters. It was designed by mA-style architects and it was completed in 2012.

Ant house ma style architects7

As seen from the outside, the house resembles a black cube. It’s actually a very mysterious property that doesn’t really offer any clues related to the interior. Even more unusual is the fact that the front façade only has a small entry and not even one window. In fact, all the windows of this house are very small and yet the interior is surprisingly bright. The contrast between the indoor and outdoor is very strong. When you enter you reach a series of bright and warm spaces covered with larch plywood. There’s a series of delimitated area that almost look like hiding spaces.

Ant house ma style architects7
Ant house ma style architects7
Ant house ma style architects7
Ant house ma style architects7
Ant house ma style architects7
Ant house ma style architects7
Ant house ma style architects7

Even though the interior and exterior are very different, almost opposites, they do have one thing in common: they are both ambiguous and mysterious. The rooms inside are not partitioned but simply delimitated by partial walls. This way there’s a sense of continuity and freedom while also allowing the inhabitants to have a sense of privacy. This project reinterprets the concept of room.{found on archdaily}.