Love House by Takeshi Hosaka Architects, Yokohama, Japan

With an incredibly small site area of just 33m², Love House (AR December 2009) is another intriguing example of how Japan’s emerging generation of young architects make the most of space, light and air in the city.

Despite the apparent inefficiency and extravagance of introducing curves and a full-height void into the already tight 2.7m-wide and 9m-deep box - not to mention roaming space for a pet rabbit - the architects have succeeded in creating an intimate private realm of drama and distinction.

With no windows, the curved courtyard traces an arc from front door to back wall. Against this sits an external stair that veers away from the orthogonal boundary wall. The stair forms part of the ground-floor mass, containing within its depth a WC, bedroom and a bathroom at its curved apex. Above this is a top-lit galley kitchen that serves the dining room and terrace, which, when necessary, are divided by a retractable glass screen.