For Tokyo Design Week, Japanese mega retailer Muji invited celebrated designers Konstantin Grcic, Jasper Morrison, and Naoto Fukasawa to envision cozy escapes from the city hustle.
Holding true to Muji’s philosophy of “just enough” design, the three huts are modest, outfitted with the basics, and executed elegantly. Moreover, the prefabricated designs strive to remove complexity from the building process—the minimum space needed for a rich experience. A place for reading, enjoying conversations, taking time, and soaking up nature.
Morrison’s cork-clad structure features zones for cooking, eating, sleeping, and washing up—ideal for a short trip to the countryside. He comments that while the dream of a remote weekend retreat is typically mired in the frustrations of building a house from the ground up, buying a prefab like you would a product can streamline the process.
Grcic’s design features a compact footprint so that it doesn’t require building permits to construct. Inside it’s spartan, with just a ladder, sleeping loft, lamp, and outlets, which offers flexibility in how it’s used. The building features hardy, retractable aluminum awnings that shield the windows during transport.
Fukasawa incorporated floor-to-ceiling glass walls in his design. It’s an open plan with a soaking tub tucked behind a wall for privacy. A wood-burning stove heats the interior, which is furnished with a cot, dining table and chairs, and kitchenette.
Alas, as with past Muji prefabs, there’s no timeline on bringing them to the United States.
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