Constant change is the underlying factor in the appearance of on the spatial organisation of the sacred private interior, as the

the home. The house is a sign of stability in the society, yet with
an average 25-year lifespan, it is as tenuous a product as the
automobile or a laptop. Factory-made houses in Japan, like cars
and electronics, are controlled, mass-produced manufactured
products and are more accepted than in North America and
much of Europe. Stylistically, the home exteriors adapt trendy
western elements, but with the exception of a few minimalistic
architect-designed prefab homes, there is little innovation in the
sea of indistinctive architecture. For most, the emphasis is rather
traditional house court and modern living room reflect, and guar-
anteed good building standards. The focus of architectural crit-
ics is the emergence of the few architect-designed homes with a
utilitarian aesthetic for embracing bold forms and visually extend-
ing spaces with light. The F.O.B. Houses, developed and mar-
keted by a large household goods retail chain, the F.O.B. Co-op,
are a case in point. They offer individual, affordable designs with
contemporary exteriors by using consistent detailing and coop-
erating with the same few building companies (34, 35).

34

Um House, Ikoma, Nara Prefecture, Japan, F.O.B. Architecture, 2000

The F.O.B. Houses offer individual, affordable designs with contemporary exteriors.
The homes are not restricted to specific modules or materials and can be built of
concrete, wood or steel.

SYSTE M S I N HOUS I NG 55
 's

First floor plan Second floor plan

Ground floor plan

35

Um House, Ikoma
The Um House is one of five proto-
types of F.O.B. Houses developed on
principles of spatial continuity and
interior courtyards, both reminders of
the traditional Japanese house.

56 SYSTE M S I N HOUS I NG