Paris studio 5.5 has repurposed classic products from Japanese brand Muji to create the fixtures and furniture for a modular “manifesto house” unveiled during Milan design week.
The Muji Muji 5.5 house features six interchangeable modules, filled with objects made from Muji products, including storage boxes, baskets, hooks and kitchenware.
These objects include chairs from sets of drawers, a screen door glazed with box lids, shelves made from wooden trays and a kitchen sink formed of a plastic tub.
Claire Renard and Jean-Sébastien Blanc, founders of 5.5, created step-by-step instruction diagrams for 12 of the objects they designed, showing visitors how to easily make their own. These are available on Muji’s website.
“This ensures that no unnecessary production takes place,” said the designers.
“It is up to you to create your object locally, using already manufactured, pre-existing products – and only if you truly need it.”
This series, called the Muji Muji Ready-Made Collection, also includes a magazine trolley made from a pair of file organisers, a birdbox made from an upturned drawer, shelves made from wooden trays and a lamp housed in a storage tub.
An upturned bowl and spoon come together to provide a gong, while a pair of pump bottles connect to a bin lid to create a coat rack.
The Muji Muji 5.5 house was on show in a courtyard garden in Brera throughout Milan design week.
The building’s six modules were connected in a linear sequence, with each one sized to suit its contents.
The first was a bathroom containing a Japanese-style wooden bath tub, while the second was an entrance porch featuring seats with integrated shoe storage and hanging space for hats and coats.
A kitchen and a workshop-cum-dining space formed the middle two modules, with details including a space-efficient larder filled with stacking jars and wall-mounted metal grids for hanging pots, pans and utensils.
Next up was a sleeping space featuring tatami mat flooring and additional cushions, while the end module was lined with shelves for growing edible plants and herbs.
The designers’ drawings show how the house could also be made smaller, consisting of just three or four modules.
Whatever the arrangement, the house is designed to function with minimal environmental impact.
The structure is raised off the ground to protect it from ground moisture, and the walls are insulated with textile blocks made from recycled clothing. The sloping white roof was designed to reflect light and collect rainwater.
“This creative, modular and minimalist home embraces modesty and frugality while addressing the need for serenity amid the city’s bustling energy and spatial constraints,” said Muji.
“This adaptable house is built from a catalogue of prefabricated modules that can be added or removed as needed. Its size and interior layout adjust to your preferences, allowing you to create a home that truly suits your lifestyle.”
The design could become available to customers in the future, a Muji representative told Dezeen.
It would continue Muji’s ongoing series of prefabricated houses, which include the indoor-outdoor Yō no Ie launched in 2020 and the Muji Hut launched in 2017, which is still on sale in Japan.
The Japanese brand previously also unveiled a concept for future housing in the House Vision 2016 exhibition in Tokyo, a collaboration with Atelier Bow-Wow designed for paddy field areas.
Muji was keen to work with 5.5 on this project after admiring the studio’s talent for upcycling in previous designs.
A selection of past 5.5 designs was on show in Milan alongside the Muji Muji 5.5 house. Examples included a coat stand made from standard coathangers and a chair with a replacement leg.
Muji Muji 5.5 was on show from 8 to 13 April 2025 as part of Milan design week. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
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