Ukiya
floating houses
Ukiya (浮家, “floating house”) is a retreat suspended among rocks and trees, where architecture dissolves into the landscape. Inspired by the Japanese concept of Oku —the depth of space and the soul— it unfolds as a single, fluid plane that invites introspection and calm.
Ukiya embodies a philosophy centred on space as the foundation for dreams, contemplation, and connection with nature. Inspired by the Japanese Oku —the idea of spatial and emotional depth— the project envisions a linear, compact dwelling conceived as a bridge suspended between rocks.
Its point-supported structure touches the ground lightly, allowing the house to adapt gracefully to different topographies.
Built from Asama stone and natural wood, Ukiya merges quietly with the landscape. Glass prisms —of rock, fire, water, and sky— open the floor to reveal the forest beneath: the so-called “sixth façade”, a sensorial plane where light, sound, and texture bring nature into dialogue with architecture.
More than a house, Ukiya is a living prototype —a modular system capable of expanding by adding a studio, spa, or new bedrooms without losing the purity of its form or the serenity of its essence.
A place to disconnect from the world and rediscover a more harmonious way of living, suspended between matter and void, between the visible and the invisible.
- Area
- 200 m2
- Address
- Japan (concept)
- Partners
- Design team: Alicja Kubicka, Borja Martínez, Asger Taarnberg
Insight consultant: Celine Enersen - Status
- Concept Design
- Renderings
- BAIrender
Ukiya (浮家, meaning “floating house” in Japanese) is conceived as a compact linear dwelling shaped by the Japanese idea of Oku — spatial and emotional depth.
Suspended between rocks, its point-supported structure touches the ground lightly and adapts with precision to different topographies.
Asama stone, natural wood and glass prisms dissolve the house into the landscape, opening the floor towards the forest below.
Conceived as a living prototype, Ukiya can grow by addition while preserving the clarity of its form and the serenity of its atmosphere.
