Casa Brutus – Number 315: Floor Plan

Casa BRUTUS is a monthly publication from Magazine House. It is a lifestyle and design magazine that presents beautiful living topics such as design, fashion, architecture, gourmet food, travel, art, and more. The magazine is released on the 10th of each month. 

(Japanese language only!)

FLOOR PLAN
The Textbook of Floor Plans

What defines the ideal, livable floor plan?
A special feature packed with insights for home renovations and new builds!

For a long time, residential layouts have been built around the "LDK" (Living-Dining-Kitchen) model.
While this rational layout—which emerged alongside the mass-market housing boom of the post-war era—became deeply rooted in Japanese living spaces, it is not necessarily the optimal choice today, given the diversification of lifestyles and values.
We have gathered examples of floor plan renovations that seek the ideal home—from projects that remove partitions to create a unified "one-room" space, to designs by master architects that incorporate smooth circulation paths, spatial sequences, and openings that invite light and scenery indoors, all the way to the perfect balance of furniture and spatial dimensions for maximum comfort.

ONE ROOM
Detailed diagrams of floor plan renovations by architects transforming apartment LDKs into open, unified spaces.
Koki Akiyoshi (VUILD / Architect)
[Kitchen Dimensions]
[Opening Design]
[Storage Design]
[Niche Spaces]
[Plumbing/Wet Area Planning]
[Details]

BASICS
Fundamentals of Floor Plans
Structural Materials & Openings
Substrates & Finishes
History of Floor Plans

LESSON
From dimensional basics to smooth circulation: Lessons on floor plans taught by master architects.
The Textbook of Dimensions: ikken
The Textbook of LDKs: Keiji Ashizawa
The Textbook of Circulation: Yasushi Horibe
The Textbook of Windows: Hitotomori

CASE STUDY
A collection of floor plan renovation case studies that maximize spatial potential.

CASE_01
Vintage Apartment
Separating public and private zones while gently connecting them via a single organic, curved wall.
Yuko Numata (Architect)

CASE_02
Industrialized Housing
A three-dimensionally continuous layout that expands through the use of atriums and niches. Hideyuki Yamano (Graphic Designer)

CASE_03
Kyo-machiya (Traditional Kyoto Townhouse)
Leveraging the layout of traditional Japanese architecture to create a space centered on floor-based living.
Shinichiro Okuda (WAKA WAKA)

CASE_04
Detached House
Boldly removing sections of the floor and ceiling to create a home filled with a sense of openness.
Ryo Suzuki & Ayumi Koyama (AtMa / Designers)

CASE_05
Single-Story Wooden House
Rooms situated at the four corners—serving both structural and living functions—surround an open living area.
Keita Ebizuka & Eriko Masunaga (AATISMO)

Regulars
Takashi Homma: TOKYO NEW SCAPES
Sho Sakurai: A Journey to Learn About Architecture
Princess Akiko: Touring Modern Architecture
Tomoki Sukezane: MIRACLE CLOSET
Tomomi Nagayama: Design Hunter
Keiko Kodera: Restaurant Forecast
Yoriko Hoshi: Casa’s Nekomura-san
Chill CARS: Well-designed cars loved across generations.