With our city now so laughably unaffordable, thousands of Vancouverites are stuck imagining wonderful homes instead of living in them. Spaced is a record of our minds wandering the world of architecture and design, up and away from the unrewarding realities of shoebox condos, dark basement suites, sweet f~ck all on Craigslist and three levels of government that couldn’t give a damn.

(via) Built in 2016 on the edge of the Japanese city of Saitama just northeast of Tokyo (pop. 1.264 million), this minimalist, perspective-compressing home by Miya Akiko Architecture Atelier is made up of four interconnected, diagonally-roofed structures marked by wood-clad walls that are interspersed with plenty of oversized windows.

It appears to be kitted out with several cool little nooks and hideaways that are accessed by short staircases. Barely perceptible in the walls are the hidden doors for storage spaces.

It is also rather uniquely situated on a corner facing what appears to be a small graveyard and agricultural plots, which doesn’t make it any less attractive. On the contrary, it looks like it would fit right into a Hiyao Miyazaki film — the hideaway of a benign spirit dragon, perhaps.

If we could somehow raise it up and helicopter it across the Pacific to Vancouver, we’d gladly set it down on a larger, more isolated lot somewhere out in Richmond or New Westminster. We might even add another section or two so as to make room for visitors (because – as has always been the mandate of SPACED – money is no object). But how to decorate it?

All images © Takumi Ota