yaneura design occupies 'MOH' house in kyoto with a steel grid for flexible living

titled ‘MOH’, this house by yaneura design has been configured to be as flexible for its inhabitants as possible. located in the japanese city of kyoto, the project is defined by a steel grid that occupies both levels of the two-storey home. in turn, this creates a sequence of cube-like spaces that can be divided using a variety of different partitions. this allowed the design team to meet the client’s requirement for a flexible and adaptable living environment.

all images by hiroki kawata

yaneura design explains that this design concept lets the building’s inhabitants freely move around the house in order to find a comfortable and suitable place. ‘rather than uniformly dividing into categories such as outer walls and inner walls, roofs and floors, the architectural terminology was redefined by carefully unraveling the performance of the boundaries required by the zones,’ say the architects. ‘thin walls, transparent walls, thick walls, floors that cannot be walked, and transparent floors are created without difficulty.’

the home’s living accommodation is found at ground level, with a bright blue staircase leading upper storey. the design also allows the house to be adapted to future needs, should it be required. using the frame as a guide, the spaces can easily be reprogrammed to serve different functions. the house can also be reconfigured should the neighboring buildings change or if the family grows over time.

project info:

name: MOH
location: kyoto city, japan
architect: yaneura design
size: 80.1 sqm / 862 sqf
structure: steel
photography: hiroki kawata