Muji Hut
Designer Sheds
As Japan is home to some of the most densely populated areas in the world, it comes as little surprise that micro-living is so popular. It is perhaps also unsurprising that Muji, the purveyor of simply designed, good quality products, has emerged as a champion of small prefab houses. Afterall, Muji has been designing themed prefab houses in collaboration with leading architects since 2008, most notably with Kengo Kuma.
For the recent Design Touch event in Tokyo Muji launched the latest additions to this series with 3 very different huts designed by Konstantin Grcic, Naoto Fukasawa and Jasper Morrision. These huts are even smaller than the prefab houses and they each focus on different functions. Fukasawa's wooden hut, for example, has a traditional pitched roof and sliding glass panels as walls. With a traditional Japanese bath and stove inside, it could easily pass for a conventional Japanese house, albeit on a smaller scale. This is in stark contrast with the aluminium hut of Grcic, which doesn't even have water or electricity connected to it. The hut is in fact little more than a multifunctional metal box which can be set up anywhere.
It is unclear whether these huts are commercially available, but with ever increasing demand for space the idea could well catch on. Ikea should be worried.
Links
https://www.muji.com/jp/mujihut/http://www.muji.net/ie/concept/
http://www.tokyo-midtown.com/jp/designtouch/2015/entry/entry03.html
Shop the Style
Product Inspiration
Also in Architecture
House BK by Caceres + Tous
When asked to picture a villa set in the lush landscape of Bali, a raw concrete structure may not spring immediately to mind. Then again, Caceres + Tous, the architects of this house, make a point of pursuing challenging ideas which follow emotions, functionality and the landscape instead of following trends.
Hideout Horizon in Bali by Studio WNA
Designed by bamboo specialists Studio WNA, Hideout Horizon is an adventurous guest lodge in the heart of the jungle in eastern Bali. This is a dream hideaway perfect for indulging in your Tarzan and Jane fantasies.
The Find by Found Associates
It takes vision and a good dose of daring to conceive a minimalist contemporary extension to a grade II listed cottage. Luckily, the architects at Found Associates have abundance of both.