Plywood is a low-cost material, and so it's use in residential projects completed on a budget makes economic sense. It also happens to be stylish by current trends, and we've seen it deployed to especially aesthetically pleasing effect in homes across Japan.
This one, in the city of Matsubara, and designed by local firm Hitomori in collaboration with fellow design studio Hane-Kenchiku-Koubou, leaves its timber framing exposed for its residents to see and live alongside, in a nod to an in-vogue material that's also a callback to traditional Japanese residential design.
Created for a family of four, the T-intersection Fence House, as it's been named, is a gabled two-level dwelling that nestles on a tight lot among three taller buildings. The "fence" in the house's name is the corrugated-metal wall between the street and the property, which demarcates the entrance to the home from the city beyond on one side, and shelters a small yard on the other.
Inside, the open-plan spaces include the usual living, dining room, and kitchen (with another hat-tip to classic Japanese home design with a sunken seating area with a tatami mat floor). The interiors are a real case study in making the most of limited space, with custom storage abounding throughout, and sliding panels hiding closing off and opening up rooms as needed.
∙ Hitotomori completes small house with a custom-made plywood interior [Dezeen]
∙ Reviving Traditional Japanese Straw Mats for the Modern Age [Curbed]
∙ All Japan coverage [Curbed]
∙ All Homes coverage [Curbed]