HAT is a minimal home located in Tokyo, Japan, designed by APOLLO Architects & Associates. The client, a couple in their 50s who both work full time, wanted to rebuild their parents? residence in the urban area in order to live with their mother. One of their main requests was to rebuild the structure so that it could sustain natural disasters in the future, such as earthquakes and fires.

The home is constructed of reinforced concrete, and utilizes a deformed shape in order to maximize the small site. The building consists of three stories, with two floors above ground and a basement floor. The outline of the deformed land was extruded three dimensionally to form the house, and the charming appearance of the exposed concrete box topped with a roof resembles a pointed hat. The mother’s room is on the semi-basement floor, while two study rooms are situated on the main floor separated by the main bedroom. The entire space, although compact, feels open and spacious due to the abundance of natural light that is maximized through the internal courtyard.

Photos by Masao Nishikawa.

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