The Full House Project is an international network of self-organized houses that function as open spaces for communal living, cultural exchange, and experimental use of space. The project originated with Das Japanische Haus in Leipzig, from which two sister projects developed in Georgia and Japan.
Starting Point: Das Japanische Haus (Leipzig)
Das Japanische Haus was founded in 2011 as a temporary, self-organized project by Japanese architects, artists, and students in Leipzig. The aim was to create an open place where living, working, cooking, events, and informal exchange come together.
The house served as an experimental field for collective use, low-threshold cultural activities, and international networking. Based on the experiences gained there, the idea emerged to establish similar places in other countries under the shared framework of the Full House Project.
Sister Project 1: UZU House – Tbilisi, Georgia
UZU House in Tbilisi emerged from exchanges between Das Japanische Haus and local actors in Georgia. From 2019 onward, it was established as a collectively used house.
Typical features of UZU House include:
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shared cooking and eating
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temporary living and working
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informal events, conversations, and cultural formats
The house is strongly embedded in the local context of Tbilisi and connects international guests with the Georgian neighborhood. Rather than following a fixed program, the focus lies on everyday, open exchange.
Sister Project 2: Labyrinth House – Onomichi, Japan
Labyrinth House is located in Onomichi (Hiroshima Prefecture) and is part of a long-term renovation and adaptive reuse project of a vacant house. The first project phases began around 2019/2020.
Key characteristics of Labyrinth House include:
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step-by-step renovation with volunteer helpers
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use as a place for staying, living, and events
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a close connection to the local urban fabric of Onomichi
In contrast to conventional cultural institutions, Labyrinth House develops slowly and process-oriented. The focus is on working together, staying together, and social learning rather than on a fixed program of events.
Shared Idea
All three houses follow the same approach:
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open, non-commercial spaces
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international and local participation
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reuse of existing buildings instead of new construction
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learning through doing together