NEVER TOO SMALL: Japanese Architect’s Industrial Style Studio, Tokyo 48sqm/516sqf

Be among the first to get your hands on our second book by pre-ordering it here Selecting materials that echo the natural beauty and industrial aesthetic of the Sumida River and its surrounds, architect Yutaro Ohta’s apartment and home office features raw and exposed materials, including plywood on the floors, walls and furniture as well as bare unfinished concrete and exposed pipes. Originally a typical 1 LDK layout (one bedroom, living, dining, and kitchen) Ohta removed all the walls creating an open studio space with flexible-use zones. Key to the redesign was moving the bathroom to the centre of the apartment and cladding it in a buffed steel, which helps carry the natural light into the deeper recesses of the apartment. Translucent plastic shower curtains, resembling the surface of the water, were added throughout the apartment as a tool for hiding storage, closing off rooms, adding privacy, or simply changing