Three Courtyards One Beautifully Balanced Japanese Home

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Three Courtyards, One Beautifully Balanced Japanese Home

Architects: arbol
Area: 81 m²
Year: 2018
Photographs: Yasunori Shimomura
Lead Architects: Yousaku Tsutsumi
Country: Japan

Designed by arbol in 2018, House in Akashi is a compact 81-square-meter single-story home in Japan organized around three internal courtyards that structure daily life through light, air, and seasonal change. Rather than relying on conventional room divisions, the house is arranged into distinct zones connected by gardens that bring nature into every corner — from a tatami room and kitchen garden near the entrance to a central living space filled with soft daylight, and private rooms at the rear. With its inward-focused layout, carefully positioned openings, and tactile elements like a wood stove set on a traditional dirt floor, the home creates a calm, intimate environment that balances privacy with a strong connection to the outdoors.