Small Houses

Claudia Hildner

Hildner assembles about 25 houses in a simple format where each project is illustrated with a few photos and floor plans (sometimes accompanied by sections and/or elevations); the drawings are rendered consistently, helping to make the book graphically appealing. Seven one-page essays are interspersed among the projects, each elucidating a particular trend or consideration of contemporary houses in Japan. Ulf Meyer provides a helpful introductory essay that traces the evolution of Japanese residential architecture in the last 100 years or so. He also provides case studies by now well-known architects -- Kenzo Tange, Toyo Ito, Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma -- but Hildner's selection of succeeding projects focuses on younger architects; this makes sense, since a lot of these small commissions go to younger architects that have not yet made a name for themselves. As in any contemporary...