The “Ant House” of Shizuoka, Japan, takes minimalist to a whole new plain. Designed by the Japanese firm mA-style Architects, the façade of the house, devoid of windows, is encased in black (some sort of smooth, metallic-looking paneling). Once inside, the colors warm a little with the use of larch plywood throughout, but surfaces—walls and floors—are not finished with paint, drywall, or moldings, save a few interior walls that appear to be wearing a soft whitewash. Instead the raw plywood is prevalent throughout the “ambiguous space” that allows freeform use by the family. Despite the boxy appearance from the outside, the house has a gabled roof and ample light from skylights and square windows around the periphery that create a pleasant, homey atmosphere, perfect for the family of five who live there.
[quote] The space also enables us to see each other. The space that has no partition does not have usual conception [sic] as a room. So we can give the role for the space as our favor. In the cube, which was covered by [the] black wall, [our] very free world becomes larger like [an] ants’ nest.” [/quote]
