On a site 3.3 meters wide and 10 meters deep, architect Takeshi Hosaka planned a dream home for himself and his wife Megumi. Leaving the ceiling open to the sky, the main space of the home “is not inside and is not outside”. A large tree casts shadows of the sun and moonlight on the wall, birds and rain enter the space and grasshoppers lay eggs here.

Takeshi and Megumi spend most of their time in the open air- only closing the sliding glass walls only during winter. Without the glass, there’s no wall to separate the couple from the elements and a sheer drop to the first floor.

Space in the 38-square-meter home is hyper-maximized: the kitchen is wide enough for a counter and a person; the bedroom fits only a futon which folds up during the day; and the bathroom door hits the toilet and doesn’t close all the way. All this is irrelevant when most of life takes place in a space without walls or ceiling.

* Translation by Ben Nitta.