Modern Japanese house is serious courtyard goals

In loud and busy cities, outdoor space can be the opposite of relaxing. The Loop Terrace House, however, has found a clever way around that issue. The 1,700-square-foot home sits in a busy area of Hyogo, Japan, yet it’s able to expertly merge indoor and outdoor living thanks to its unusual layout.

Architecture studio Tomohiro Hata & Associates anchored the house around a central garden that’s dotted with spindly trees. True to its name, the home’s two floors are connected by a series of stairs and platforms that wrap around the interior garden space in a loop, creating an outdoor circulation path that’s still totally private.

Toshiyuki Yano via Designboom

Inside, white staircases pop against the all-wood interior to excellent minimalist effect. Like other homes that act as a barrier to the city, the Loop Terrace House also has plenty of big picture windows that provide another view to the interior garden and let in ample natural light while they’re at it.

Toshiyuki Yano via Designboom

Toshiyuki Yano via Designboom

Toshiyuki Yano via Designboom

Toshiyuki Yano via Designboom

Via: Designboom