KC Design Studio has updated a 3.7-metre-wide house in Taiwan by adding a perforated facade and a lightwell, both intended to combat the lack of daylight in the 50-year-old property.

The designers were asked to improve the natural lighting in the old home, which is situated in close proximity to noisy tourist attractions and night markets. But they were also asked to avoid compromising the client's privacy or security.

"Considering the lack of privacy and good view, we decided to design the house inward and upward," explained studio co-founders Chun-ta Tsao and Kuan-huan Liu, who previously updated another home in Taiwan with rotating walls.

"The front of each floor is set back to form a buffering semi-outdoor space between the streets and residence areas," they continued. "With large windows located both at the front and the back, and use of an atrium in the middle, sunlight can naturally flow into every corner of the house."

Despite being less than four metres wide, the skinny house comprises an open-plan kitchen and living room, a play area, along with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an ensuite.

These living spaces are set back from the facade to create a 'garden space' that extends from the play area and master bedroom.

The semi-outdoor spaces are fronted by a mesh facade, which ensures a high level of natural light is maintained without reducing the homeowner's privacy.

The architects also removed sections of the floor planes and replaced them with sheets of glass, forming an atrium that allows light to flood the depth of the building, without reducing valuable floor space.

A number of the home's partition walls were also replaced with glass and a perforated floating staircase ensures light from the glass floor above isn't blocked out.

A light material palette of cool grey and white was chosen to reflect and maximise light. White wood floors and cement walls are teamed with stainless steel, wood and glass detailing throughout.

To make the most of the limited floor space, furniture is positioned against walls and kitchen units slot under the stairs. An exposed steel frame is also used as a platform from which to hang plants.

Alongside the new frame, the existing concrete structure was left in place to create contrast between the old and new elements.

Other skinny house renovations include a four-metre-wide townhouse by Nguyen Khac Phuoc Architects in Vietnam and a slender home by Kientruc O featuring a lightwell enclosed by balconies and tropical plants.