designboom's top ten most viewed housing units of 2011

this year’s top ten most viewed housing units looks more like a japanese neighborhood. with 7 out of the 10 houses coming from japan it is hard to deny the unique attention to detail of each residence, which is why they dominated 2011 this year. each structure provides the user with its own unique style, specific to the dimensions of the space and the natural surroundings. where japanese architects can improve for next year are more original names as ‘o house’ and ‘house o’ share back to back spots on the list. and ‘house with eaves and an attic’ coupled with ‘house with slide’ remove the mystery of the major design feature. what separates the 3 other residents from the japanese homes are their expansive vistas, large glass facades capturing panoramic views of the landscape.

1. ‘house taishido’ by key operation inc.

flanked by neighboring structures on three sides, the design manipulates its proportions both horizontally and vertically to achieve interior spaces that are both spacious and efficient. standing on a plot measuring 7m x 12m, the house is stepped back from the site by 1.5m to set it apart from the public street and alleyway.

setagaya, tokyo, japan image courtesy of key operation inc.

2. ‘house with slide’ by level architects

a three-story family residence features a continuous circulation route that utilizes both stairs and playground equipment. since the movement is placed on the outer edge of the design, the interior is lit using vertical openings in the roof.

higashiyama, meguro-ku, tokyo, japan image courtesy of level architects

3. ‘house with eaves and an attic’ by ON design partners

this three-level dwelling situated on a hilly site in tokyo, japan, stands slim and tall. the design features an exaggerated pitched roof that is also translated to the interior form of the space.

tokyo, japan photographer: koichi torimura

4. ‘house in the outskirts of brussels’ by samyn and partners

one of three residences not located in japan, this contrasting, two-fold structure seeks to integrate itself into the surrounding environment. hosted on four floors, the residence contains six-loft like bedrooms, basement level studios and an open main floor that is directly connected to the landscape.

brussels, belgium image © marie-françoise plissart

5. ‘nakahouse’ by XTEN architecture

this single family residence is located along the steep slopes below the hollywood sign in california, USA. this is the second of three homes located outside of japan. the dwelling is an contemporary update to an established home from the 1960’s with floor to ceiling glass windows, that blur the boundary between the indoor and outdoor living spaces.

hollywood, USA image © steve king

6. ‘house o’ by jun igarashi architects

this single story residence located in a small forestry town takes full advantage of the expansive, non-restrictive site; to explore new arrangements of living spaces. the structure adopts a sprawling arrangement composed of multiple box-like volumes to generate rooms with ideal orientations and effective circulation routes.

hokkaiodo, japan image © iwan baan

7. ‘o house’ by hideyuki nakayama architecture

exaggerated in form and shape, the narrow two-story design features a fully glazed street facade that exposes the activities of the interior. in order to create privacy while controlling that amount of natural light coming into the house, a custom-made single curtain hangs from floor to ceiling.

kyoto, japan image by daichi ano

8. ‘vista’ by apollo architects and associates

positioned upon a plateau in toyko, japan, the dwelling is oriented to face the urban context to the north while a windowless elevation faces the street. an interior arrangement extends terraces from the living spaces to allow continuous panoramic views as the rear of the structure opens with a cascade of windows and balconies which overlook a sloping hill.

tokyo, japan image © masao nishikawa

9. ‘edge house’ by noriyoshi morimura

built on a hill overlooking the city, the design features a series of slanted and connected floors that mimic the surrounding slopped topography. the dwelling is composed of merging and offset planes that slice through the landscape to establish a dialogue with the encircling environment.

osaka, japan image courtesy of noriyoshi morimura architects and associates

10. ‘villa geldrop’ by hofman dujardin architecten

the last unit to round out the top ten is located on the estate of a farm in the netherlands. anchored into the earth by a perpendicular running slope, it mimics the shape of an existing barn that shares the landscape. while a long gradual ramp slices the flat terrain acting as the main entrance and exit to the residence.

netherlands image courtesy of hofman dujardin architecten