This tiny (just 33 m2) plot offered a chance for a young couple to build a house in expensive downtown Kobe. But it meant a radical change of lifestyle. Storage space and separate, closed-off rooms had to be sacrificed. Behind the largely glazed front, some privacy is gained through offsetting the levels inside. Slats built into the facade and a large tree outside also screen the interior. The space is maximised by using few materials and concealing details. The double-flight staircase, at first sight seemingly over-sized, actually fulfils the same purpose, linking all levels into a single space continuum, and enabling diverse visual connections between the various areas. The wooden steps, also used as seats, take up the theme of the dominant concrete slats.