Like an introverted person, the House of Trough, designed by architect Jun Igarashi in the Kato-gun district of the Hokkaido prefecture in northern Japan, focuses inward. This is not surprising considering that dreary neighboring buildings surround the house, with an industrial yard to the south.

The clients wanted a large living space where they could relax and entertain, a clutter-free environment with a minimum of furniture, and a bit of hidden storage. These desires, coupled with the bleak surroundings and the region’s freezing temperatures, led Igarashi
to include what he describes as a “windbreak room”—an extension to a house’s entrance that keeps cold air out of its main body. The architect divided the interior into two voids extending across the north and south sides of the 1,060-square-foot structure.