House with Empty Lot

In traditional homes, bedrooms (and maybe a bathroom if you’re lucky) constitute the only private – or sometimes only semi-private – space within a home.  The rest of the living space is communal.  House with Empty Lot by Japanese firm ON Design takes that architectural tradition and turns it inside out.

House with Empty Lot accommodates a hobby-centric couple, one a musician and the other a surfer.  The space they share is an airy “empty lot” in the center of the house.  The rest of the time is spent in their own compact residences on either end of the home.  Thus, most of their time at home can be spent by themselves, and they only come together to interact in one, albeit large, room.