With charming self-deprecation, the Japanese have long referred to their small urban homes as rabbit hutches. But, perhaps because of these challenging conditions, it is the Japanese who are widely regarded as being in the vanguard of residential design and some of them have come up with a way of building houses that could offer useful lessons to countries that have fewer space issues.

Engineers and architects have figured out a way, dubbed “Skeleton Infill” (SI), of making the job of changing the shapes and functions of rooms in homes easier.

Supporting walls have always been a pain for the permanently restless but the SI system, where the skeleton of the house is preserved while the insides change, creates durable standardised houses that can be tailored to individual requirements using “infill systems” – moveable partitions and partition storage spaces. If residents want to shift the kitchen out of the way to make space for a mega-party or quickly build a room for a new baby or guest they can do so with the minimum of effort.

Interior design and renovation firms inspired by the new possibilities are now providing the “infill” sytems and Japanese interior design and renovation company Rebita (www.rebita.co.jp) has teamed up with Muji to offer customisable renovation solutions using only Muji products.

Meanwhile Tokyo’s Atelier OPA has designed a series of collapsible work, sleep and eat stations that fulfil architectural functions such as dividing spaces. The first product from the firm’s Kenchikukagu series (kenchikukagu.com) is a workstation that does everything bar preparing dinner.