Street-side exterior. The simple shed-roof form is set in contrast to the surrounding grove of trees.
On the left is a parking space with a geometric pattern formed in concrete paving; behind the board fence on the right is a tea garden.
The exterior walls are clad in boards, and a steel canopy shelters the entrance porch.
The entrance has a void above and a tiled floor. The wall provides generous storage for shoes and snowboards.
Light enters the entrance through the fixed clerestory window above.
The tiled floor from the entrance continues through to the dining kitchen. The entire first-floor floor slab incorporates soil heat-storage floor heating (Thermaslab), keeping the house warm in winter. On the right are the stair storage and the entrance leading to the Japanese-style room.
View of the LDK from the kitchen. The living room has a high ceiling, and a deck terrace extends outside on the right.
When the retractable wooden sash doors are fully opened, the LDK and deck terrace are connected without a step. The wood-burning stove is an original design.
The LDK connects to the second-floor bedroom via the void. The ceiling is finished with Japanese beech plywood.
The wooden sash doors facing the deck terrace are closed. The greenery of the grove can be seen through the high windows.
Island kitchen. The refrigerator is concealed by using the same maple finish panels as those on the rear cabinets.
Greenery can also be seen from the staircase to the second floor and through the picture window straight ahead.
View along the passage connecting to the Japanese-style room and wet areas. The wood-burning stove, with its rustic, simple form, is an original design by Sanrinsya.
Passage to the wet areas. On the right are the entrances to the Japanese-style room (mizuya) and the toilet.
The wet areas also provide direct, step-free access to the deck terrace.
The washroom and bathroom are separated by glass, creating a continuous sense of space extending to the inner garden.
The bathroom faces a karesansui inner garden. It is shielded from outside views, allowing for a relaxing bath.
The deck terrace, which preserves the existing trees, provides a place to enjoy barbecues with friends.
The deck terrace is set in an L-shaped corner, with the area in the foreground planned as a vegetable garden.
The sink and grill in the barbecue area are made of firebrick and concrete. A beer tap can also be installed.
Looking down the staircase connecting the first and second floors.
A study space for the whole family, with a built-in desk four meters long. It can be separated from the children’s room on the left in the future.
A large wooden-sash window is located in front of the study space. The grove fills the view, while in winter, after the leaves have fallen, Mount Asama can be seen faintly.
A children’s room that can be divided into two rooms in the future. The half-height walls on the window side and stair side serve as bookshelves, with a heat-storage heater installed in part of one. A chalkboard has been built into the wall so the children can draw freely.
The primary bedroom is connected to the void over the living room. The closet is on the left, and the space can be closed off from the void with six retractable doors.
Looking down into the living room from the primary bedroom.
The primary bedroom connects to the study space, and the floor is carpeted.
The tea garden can be seen through the ground-level window, which also serves as the nijiriguchi of the Japanese-style room (tea room). Light reflected from the tatami illuminates the ceiling finished with karakami paper. On the right is the kin人guchi, an entrance for honored guests, connecting to the main entrance.
At the back is the sadoguchi entrance leading to the mizuya. Directly above the hearth is a kamahirukugi kettle hook. The alcove floor is covered with tatami, and the rear wall is finished with karakami paper and fitted with a nakakugi hook (musokugi, flush type).
The walls are finished with dark-brown-stained Japanese beech plywood. The tatami is Ryukyu tatami with dark navy edging.
View toward the nijiriguchi side, from the position of the daime tatami, with concealed indirect lighting. A double tsuridana shelf and central post can be seen.
Mizuya, with a tenbukuro storage cabinet above. The sink is copper, with bamboo slats made of bleached bamboo. The lower part of the wainscoting, which is exposed to splashing water, is also clad in copper. Between the sink and the tatami is a charcoal box finished with cedar boards.
A koshi-kake machiai bench, made of chestnut wood by the builder. The area on the left is paved with stone because it will be used as bicycle parking.
A yotsume-gaki fence and shiorido gate divide the outer roji from the inner roji.
View from the inner roji toward the outer roji. The tsukubai is on the left; the largest stone on the right is the fumiishi, or shoe-removing stone.
A tsukubai arranged around a chozubachi water basin, with a maeishi front stone, teshokuishi candle stone, and yuokeishi washbasin-bucket stone. A stone lantern is also placed nearby. Moving toward the tea room’s nijiriguchi, the stones are arranged as the sanbanishi, niban-ishi, and fumiishi. A chiri-ana and nozoki-ishi can be seen at the back.