Traditional Kominka Restoration｜Custom Home Examples by Architectural Offices4Picks Author: Qurasuki Editorial Department

Traditional folk houses (kominka) handed down across many long years possess a unique charm not found in newly built residences. Thick timbers, traditional structures, and textures born from years of use allow residents to feel the passage of time itself that the building has traversed. On the other hand, differences exist between modern lifestyles and former living methods, and kominka restorations require ingenuity to reconfigure spaces to suit new living while preserving existing charms. Characteristics unique to kominka—such as ceiling heights, large beams, and relationships with earth floors and gardens—reveal varied expressions depending on design approaches. Furthermore, how old and new parts coexist serves as a highlight of each residence. Through real examples of custom homes by architectural firms, we decode the charm of kominka restoration, exploring how this theme is expressed architecturally.

Urata House Echizen Design Laboratory

This renovation of a traditional Japanese house re-edits the accumulated memories and layers of time inscribed in the site for contemporary life, while respecting their significance. New places to gather were created through the introduction of a void and a built-in sofa, while old fittings, furniture, window latticework, and other elements were skillfully regenerated. Existing light fixtures and fittings were also retained, connecting the history of the home to the future. In the space woven from new and old materials, the past, present, and future gently overlap, giving expression to the richness of a home that grows together with the family.

A Traditional House in Kyotango Tetsuya Kimura Architects

This traditional house in Kyotango, built in 1882, was renovated while preserving the customs of daily life and the existing layout. Historic elements—including the robust beams that once supported the sericulture rooms and the shoin shoji screens—have been retained, while variations in the low floors and ceilings create spaces suited to contemporary living. Broad stepped flooring gently bridges the difference in level from the existing Japanese-style rooms, while seismic dampers improve the structural performance. The residence carries forward the generous spatial continuity of the old traditional house into the lives of its occupants today and in the future.

Revitalization of Prewar Rental Kyoto Townhouses | Row Houses on Showa Alley Yoshihiro Yamamoto Architects Associates

A prewar nagaya in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto was renovated into rental housing for families and the elderly. Surface layers were removed to reveal the characteristic machiya structure and the continuity between the tsubo-niwa and interior. The ground floor links two former tatami rooms into a central living space, integrating a mise-no-ma around the courtyard with a face-to-face kitchen. Flooring is 30 mm cedar planks; walls repaired with plaster and plywood; the ceiling exposes the second-floor rough decking. The second floor was repaired and received added insulation and a boat-bottom ceiling. Existing fittings were reused to the extent possible, respecting the grid plan.

Renovation of a 128-Year-Old Kominka JYU ARCHITECT

A 128-year-old kura attached to a kominka built in 1897 (Meiji 30) was renovated into a comfortable residence. Damaged beams and a leaning foundation were reinforced, and the heavy, difficult-to-operate entrance joinery was repaired and reused. By improving insulation and airtightness, the interior remains cool in summer and warm in winter. Existing floorboards were repurposed for kitchen surfaces, stairs, and counters, while some wall and ceiling finishes were executed by the residents themselves, retaining the building's memory and character.