m&c house/House renovation in Nishiminato

Our design sought to achieve extensive earthquake reinforcement, as well as upgraded insulation, while paying special attention to the living style of the couple
who had recently decided to buy this house and who would soon be taking up residence within.
Without making drastic changes to the original layout, we worked with the existing structure to organize the space in a simple and natural fashion.
What had been the kitchen became a dining-kitchen. What had been a traditional Japanese living space became more of a western-style living room.
What had been two traditional Japanese-style rooms with tatami mat flooring became bedrooms. However, by carefully and deliberately manipulating line-of-flow and
ceiling height, we were able to create an experience very different to that which the building had thus far offered.
In the long hallway, typical of Japanese houses with numerous adjoining rooms, we installed panel heaters to heat the entire house. With its walls and
ceilings painted in semi-gloss, the hallway delivers not only warm air, but also light to each room. On the one side of the hallway are rooms which open into the garden.
On the other side a backspace to accommodate storage and other utilities.
The hallway is broken into three sections of differing width. At the same time as creating sense of depth, our aim is that movement along the hallway and shifting
line-of-sight will bring about consciousness of movement itself and of the constantly changing scenery within the garden. Glancing from the dining-kitchen,
along the hallway to the master bedroom's blue-grey wall, one can enjoy a view of the homeowner's cats moving about, as well as get a real sense of the changing seasons.
In taking what the original homeowner and builder had created some forty years ago and superimposing over that a design based on new input and ideas,
perhaps we have created something that will again connect us with somebody else another forty years hence.

completion
Jul.2012
type
renovation
principal use
housing
total floor area
123.2㎡
structure
wood
location
chuo-ku niigata-city
photograph
©Takeru Shoji
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