Question: How do you build a spacious home on a narrow corner lot?
Solution: Build the home to be triangular.
This is what Tokyo Architects at Mizuishi did. This narrow home was built on a corner lot, with the wide living room window overlooking the river across the road. The design of this house captures what a minimalist tiny house design can do when planned properly!
While many of the designs we write about occupy a big field of land such as this 8 acre Tiny House, this feature is the opposite, taking up less than 600 square feet of property.
Caption: Yes, this is the main road and the other end of the property connecting. The site area totals 52.14 sq m
While some may not find this home’s exterior appealing, when you start examining this tiny house, you start opening your mind to finding alternative solutions that work around the objective of your choices. This design proves one can really overcome a variety of challenges.
The true value of the designing a minimalist tiny house becomes clear when inside. There are two floors to work with, and some loft space as well! While this loft seems to be used as a children’s playroom, a home office or reading space can also be created in this roomy area with its skylight and open ended design. In fact, it may be a better idea, safety wise. While one side is accessed by a ladder, the other simply overlooks the rest of the house. An open canvas for any interior dream. (Anyone else leaning towards Scandi?)
Occupying the most spacious portion of the floor is the living room. With huge windows on both sides creating a symphony of natural light, this area invites you to be inspired. The window on the riverside slides open to a narrow balcony, offering the best view of the walled river. If you wondered why the living room was on the second floor, this should offer clarity. Imagine relaxing to an evening glass of cabernet sauvignon, right there. While you cannot see it in this image, the river is right behind the railing.
Minimalists, swoon. The design is simple and functional. It provides a ton of storage, enabling functionality with no clutter. It offers no distractions from an ideal view. (Place dream view here!)
A corner kitchen accommodates a busy life – it allows for enough floor space to move around unhindered. We loved the huge floor to roof ridge window that contributes to the naturally lit interior of the entire home.
The entryway from the bottom floor could have been better placed on the other end, but this is the beauty of inspiration. The space could work in a variety of ways. Imagine what you could do to delight guests on first entry, with such a huge window as a backdrop.
The bedroom is also airy, light, and has much to offer in terms of choice. You don’t have to place the bed in one corner and be happy with that for the rest of your stay. And yes – that is the front door to this minimalist tiny house. But before creeping out and abandoning a great design choice – those curtains that are meant to close the area off could easily be replaced by a room dividers, or another clever solution.
The bedroom is also airy, light, and has much to offer in terms of choice. You don’t have to place the bed in one corner and be happy with that for the rest of your stay. And yes – that is the front door to the home. But before creeping out and abandoning a great design choice – those curtains that are meant to close the area off could easily be replaced by a room dividers, or another clever solution.
This design was deliberate in two objectives. It overcame the challenge of an inconveniently sized and shaped lot. The second was optimizing the view of the river. It proves that a willingness to be flexible in how living spaces are placed and designed, the perfect solution can be reached in challenges that are quite common.
Image credits: Tiny Treasure