Kiyotoshi Mori + Natsuko Kawamura / MDS

Basements are usually considered the part of the house where natural lighting is most difficult to attain; rooms located there tend to be extremely dark. However, by putting the living room – the room which most requires good natural lighting – on the basement floor and opening a large void in the first floor above it, the architects transformed the basement into a bright and comfortable space.

On the ground floor, they included an entrance off of each of two private lanes. The line of sight from each of these entrances reaches through to the other,  giving the layout a feeling of openness.