Space: Japanese Design Solutions for Compact Living

by Michael Freeman

A photographic exploration of Japanese architecture and design in size-constricted areas explores imaginative, ingenious, and revolutionary solutions to space-compromised living.

Genres: Architecture, Japan, Nonfiction, Design, Photography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 7, 2004

About the author

Librarian note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Michael Freeman is a professional photographer and author. He wrote more than 100 book titles. He was born in England in 1945, took a Masters in geography at Brasenose College, Oxford University, and then worked in advertising in London for six years. He made the break from there in 1971 to travel up the Amazon with two secondhand cameras, and when Time-Life used many of the pictures extensively in the Amazon volume of their World's Wild Places series, including the cover, they encouraged him to begin a full-time photographic career.

Since then, working for editorial clients that include all the world's major magazines, and notably the Smithsonian Magazine (with which he has had a 30-year association, shooting more than 40 stories), Freeman's reputation has resulted in more than 100 books published. Of these, he is author as well as photographer, and they include more than 40 books on the practice of photography - for this photographic educational work he was awarded the Prix Louis Philippe Clerc by the French Ministry of Culture. He is also responsible for the distance-learning courses on photography at the UK's Open College of the Arts.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attractively presented read, crisp photography, an interesting selection of houses which are mostly contemporary builds. Was hoping that with the use of old miso and soy barrels being utilised for housing the book would persue these ideas further of using the old to reuse. Perhaps that might be a restrictive aspect of the book is the absence of the builds presented within a broader architectural history, but their contemporary innovation makes up for this. This is an attractive introduction to Japanese interiors and although maybe ten years old now still has a great contemporary flavour and well worth a look.

[Ahmad Mahayri]

Nice ideas, some are not practical and some are suitable for the small Japanese bodies. Overall, the designs are inspiring and there are so many lessons to be learnt. Enjoyable piece of read.

[Christopher J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Random pick from my SF library branch's new books rack, which is how I end with the smattering of architectural photography books I read, or browse for pictures anyway.

Like most architecture books, this seems to be full of people who live inside of modernist museums outfitted with a minimum of furniture, decorated with a small number of natural-surface items (reed and bamboo screens, cloth-covered tatamis, rustic ceramics) that provide a pleasant contrast to the strong geometric lines and solid-color planes of their dwellings.

It's interesting to see how people live in small spaces, and the Japanese have a long tradition of it, being short on space compared to American suburbanites. It's a lovely little book, if you like architecture.

[Persy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many innovative and visually pleasing concepts centered around saving space! I don’t know that I will ever live in a home as tiny as some depicted in this book, but the aesthetics are often so gorgeous I want to incorporate them into my forever home.

Recommend highly to anyone looking to be more spatially aware or who is just a fan of a Japanese culture and design.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book had enough detail to satisfy my curiosity, but not so much as to overwhelm the photos -- the real reason for a book like this in my mind...

[Freop · Rating 5 out of 5]

在很局限的条件下，依然可以有well-thought functionality，真是对建筑功能（而非审美）的极好教育

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very satisfyingly visual look at the design on teeny Japanese dwellings. It makes me yearn for a little house of my own, with delightful nooks for stashing treasures.

I didn't read many of the words, because that's how I roll, but I did catch something interesting about storage, and the differences between Japanese culture and Western/American culture.

"The accumulation of possessions is an international constant and brings with it the issue of where to keep them. This is all the more urgent if space is limited. In comparing the Western and Japanese storage traditions, the former has been likened to a "museum" culture and the latter to a "theater" culture, reflecting two quite different attitudes. In the museum approach, there is a series of units and surfaces filled and stocked with implements and objects. The degree to which they are loaded varies according to taste and fashion, from say Victorian bric-a-brac to Scandinavian pine and steel, but there is an underlying similarity; a visible set of cupboards, shelves, and cabinets are a functioning part of the interior. In the theater culture, by contrast, a few objects at a time are brought out as required, either for display [...] or for mundane tasks, such as the utensils needed for food preparation. They are then returned to a hidden area of storage, out of sight. The corollary of the theater approach, therefore, is concealment-the backstage of the living space."

[Elaine Meszaros · Rating 4 out of 5]

With building space at a premium in most large Japanese cities, architects who can fit building into tiny "eel nest " spaces are always busy. This is a collection of some of the most innovative designs, often working with only 350-500 square feet. In addition, Japanese zoning laws require that 30% of a piece of property must be outside - i.e. a yard - and new buildings may not block the light or view of neighbors. While many are sparse beyond belief, most are still light and airy with open spaces to move. Using innovative stairways, glass walls and fold-away everything, these homes look surprisingly comfortable to live in. Unlike Wright's failed Utopian designs which did not include closet space (he would provide everything a family would want or need with the house) these houses are designed with the specific needs of the owner in mind. Some have young children and need play areas, others want a kitchen but room did not allow, so the kitchen appliances and oven are ground level with a "trench " to stand in. Brilliant and creative.

[NoBeatenPath · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at some ideas of how to use small residential space from Japanese architects, often incorporating traditional Japanese techniques and/or materials. While there was much to admire in this book, and some good ideas, it had much more of a 'coffee table book' feel than being something you could use to develop your own blueprint for creating or using your own small space. I would have liked a bit more practical 'this is how you do it', but this book was inspiring nevertheless.

[Cyril · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational, and mentally stimulating when trying to figure out the architectural challenges and their solutions.