In a move surely in some part designed to confuse the neighbors, this ring-shaped dwelling by Japanese firm Container Design looks not unlike a cluster of monopoly pieces, upon first viewing. In actuality, the House of Awa-cho is a single interconnected home, wrapped around a central courtyard and attached to the two rooms on either side by a single corner. According to Container Design, the motivation behind this, uh, unique design was to create, "a spacious home complete with a garden, which had a direct relationship with its environment."
Previous, vetoed iterations of the quirky setup included a boxy square structure and a similar circle of rooms, though unconnected and therefore seriously lacking privacy (think about running outside between the bathroom and bedroom post-shower.) Finally, this compromise between the two other proposed plans came about, and—against all odds—the 1870-square-foot structure actually looks pretty open and airy from the inside.
Floor-to-ceiling windows on both the outer ring and the side facing into the courtyard offer plenty of natural light, and though the rooms look a bit narrow based on these images, (?) the place doesn't feel like one long hallway, as it so easily might have. Design Boom has the pictures and a few sketches showing evolution of the floor plans, right this way.
· Radial living at House of Awa-cho by Container Design [Design Boom]
· Home town of Awa [Container Design]
· The Bridges of Hiroshima Prefecture [Meridian]