Forever Home｜Custom-built homes by architecture firms4Picks｜Housing for Enriching the Later Stages of Life

The essence of designing a “final residence” is to carefully plan homes that allow people to continue living safely and true to themselves in the later stages of life. This requires a design perspective that balances comfort and safety: flat, step-free circulation; corridor and opening widths that accommodate wheelchairs and walking aids; wall substrate reinforcement to anticipate future handrail installation; safe fittings and layouts for bathrooms and toilets; and flexible floor plans that can adapt to changing needs over time. Equally important are the tactile warmth of durable materials, an abundance of natural light, and beautiful interiors that surround residents with objects they love. The architectural practice carefully calibrates both functional measures and aesthetic qualities to propose homes that support a rich and secure later life.

This project is a renovation of an approximately 40-year-old sukiya-style residence located in northern Nara City. The retrofit included seismic strengthening and upgraded thermal insulation; the attic space was utilized to create a bright, open living room. The traditional tatami room was reconfigured as a tea room, and ample, purpose-specific storage was provided. While preserving the existing design language, the intervention establishes an environment for the enjoyment of fine art, antiques, and the garden, revitalizing the dwelling to ensure comfortable living into the future.

This residence serves as the couple’s final home after childrearing, designed for them to cherish everyday living. The second floor, which forms the core of daily life, arranges the living and dining spaces around a southeast-facing terrace. The terrace, enclosed by roof and walls, functions as a semi-outdoor space that shields views from the outside while allowing occupants to remain close to nature. A music room on the first floor gives rise to changes in floor level, a double-height void, and an observation terrace, which together introduce spatial diversity and continuity in this three-story timber-framed house.

This residence is situated within a Quasi‑National Park in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture. It is broadly open toward the seaward northeast while the southwest elevation is intentionally kept as closed as possible. The entry contains an enlarged earthen‑floored mudroom to accommodate fishing activities, and the living room opens onto a deep, eaves‑protected veranda (nure‑en). A diagonal roof framework, featuring a ridge beam that rises toward the south, is articulated within the interior, and the exterior cladding—primarily timber—is detailed with measures to mitigate salt corrosion.

A compact lot with a 6.5 m frontage and 9.5 m depth, totaling 19 tsubo (approximately 63 m²). The site faces a 4.0 m‑wide road to the north, is flanked by neighboring houses to the east and west, and is tightly bordered to the south by a three‑storey school building. In response to the client's request for a 'bright house', the design provides a sheltered veranda and a small garden margin on the south side, and links interior and exterior with a low, tea‑house‑like crawl‑in opening. A small forecourt and an earthen‑floored doma in front of the entrance establish a route from the alley to the courtyard, and the entrance door is positioned outside the fire‑wall line. Privacy is graduated across four rooms; the second‑floor living room functions as a pool of light, while a louvered, slatted floor conveys daylight and natural ventilation to the lower level.