Osaka – Local architects Yoshiaki Oyabu have inserted a lightwell into the three-storey Step-well House in a busy neighbourhood of Osaka. The lightwell is designed to help maximise space and provide a natural source of sunlight. The lightwell penetrates floors and ceilings, creating a level of openness and transparency through the use of tempered glass, lined acrylic mirror and corrugated plastic.
The communal spaces – the kitchen, living and dining rooms – sit at an intermediate level on the second floor, with a metre-wide gap from the transparent shaft. This helps to facilitate natural cross-ventilation and a visual connection with activities on the third floor.
As explored in our Leanomics trend report, this is a great example of how designers are pushing towards leaner and more cultural decluttering-orientated design solutions.