Simple Beauty in Small Homes

Simple Beauty in Small Homes

Feb 16, 2021

Wonderful talk with author and architect Azby Brown yesterday. He talked of the small homes in Japan from 1000 years ago which had a very limited floor/living space, but similar elements we still see in traditional and modern Japanese homes today- the front Genkan entryway, the raised living space, the earthen floor for cooking or shoes, and the yard for waste, storage and growing vegetables. 

Some of the amazing modern small homes featured in his book were very different in style and function from this traditional aesthetic, instead they focused on a key feature to create an impact on how the family wants to live their lives. 

The Very Small Home Book: https://amzn.to/37czsF2

Watch the video of our talk | Listen to the podcast of the talk

​ 01:30​ Shoin Tsukuri Style (traditional)

05:00​ Bringing Outside Views Inside

06:30​1000 year old small house designs

08:20​ Traditional Design 150 year ago

10:00​ 1952 Japanese Minimalism

11:50​ 9-tsubo house for family of 4

12:20​ Kyosho-Jutaku Micro-Home Trend

13:50​ 2000's notable small home trend

15:00​ Tadao Ando 4x4 Seaview

16:00​ Big Idea - Strong "Impact" Feature of a Home

17:10​ Nakai-Ikegami House Borrowed Landscape

18:45​ Engawa House TezukaxTezuka

23:55​ 9-Tsubo Aioi-Sumire Budget Build

24:55​ House pricing in Japan vs Abroad

26:40​ Urban Land high-prices as precious resource

29:00​ Tiny House Trend worldwide

31:00​ Few Mobile Homes but Many Pre-Fabricated Homes in Japan

33:00​ Houses can last 100s of years if built well

34:25​ Low resell value for Old Homes vs New Homes

40:20​ The BIG IDEA - Impactful House Design

41:00​ The Wedge House Endoh + Ikeda

45:00​ Steel Lattice Design Amazing Engineering

46:00​ Penguin House - Flexed Steel Design + Curtains

49:00​ Tax incentives for building homes for long-term

51:40​ Great Design House Tours in Tokyo

58:50​ TR house with kitchen/living on top with wrap windows

61:01 Architect original design vs Cookie-Cutter house design costs 

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