Occupying a street corner plot in Shiga, Japan, the Framing House stands out for its black-coated steel exterior and elaborate geometric volume, dictated by its internal functions and layout. The client’s request to include a gallery for exhibiting art in the house was a demand which the architect was more than happy to fulfil resulting in the ground floor housing a private/public space comprising an internal courtyard adorned with a single tree and elongated corridor that opens directly onto the street, with the gallery space on the right and the house’s main entrance on the left. The large openings on both sides of this entrance corridor cleverly connect the gallery with the living areas, thereby allowing the residents ‘‘to feel the atmosphere’’ from the two spaces.

The actual house sits atop the gallery, and includes a master bedroom, living room, kitchen, and a small room for the client’s child with a painted bear on the wall (the only dash of colour in the entire living space) which is connected to the living room through an elongated ‘‘closet’’ offering ample storage space behind its white curtain. Minimal shapes and furnishings, unconventionally placed light apertures and a well-thought use of colour are combined throughout to create a serene atmosphere, whilst revealing a sensitive and poetic approach to interior architecture and design.