Japanese practice Gosize has combined an architects' studio with a house in a concrete frame with large openings around a small courtyard with a simple pond in Hyōgo, Japan.

       The office occupies the ground floor, with a bedroom above and a large living, kitchen and space at second floor level with a terrace overlooking the street below.

       The ground floor of F Residence was conceived of by Gosize as a doma, an element of traditional Japanese architecture ."The spaces become increasingly open to the outside world as they move upwards, offering a chance to come into sync with nature and open oneself to the surrounding landscape," said Gosize, which was founded by Go Fujita in 1999.”

       The only glimpses outside at these levels are through thin openings in the concrete walls and the courtyard, but the upper level has a deep, full-height opening.


"Seeking to reflect a distinctive Japanese aesthetic that favours natural materials and finds beauty in simplicity, the design emphasises plainness and blank space in the interior," said Gosize.