UID Architects is a Japanese architecture firm that's based in Hiroshima, Japan.

In 2009, the firm has completed a house and atelier for a doll artist in Minoh city near Osaka. Upon the first glance at this structure, one would only see hovering white facades. The raised structures open up an opportunity for openings at the top and bottom, complemented with glass enclosure. Calling these rectangular boundaries as belts, architect Keisuke Maeda said:

A simple operation of overlapping belts obscures site boundaries and formulates a relationship to the site and the neighborhood.

Greenscaping the interior of the house to weave in the green space of the exterior further highlights the seemingly expanding footprint, which is smaller than expected. Walls were replaced by built-in furnitures to minimize spatial usage, as well as to connect interior spaces.

The minimal yet complex design is what makes this house stand out. I adore the functional and effective moves that the architect used to modify such a small site. Even the white path leading from the outside to the inside, adorn with pebbles and green, is a simple decision that helps lighten up this atelier.

Photography by Hiroshi Ueda