Nested-Structure Renovation of a Traditional Kominka: House of Interstices|Yoshihiro Yamamoto Architects Associates
Renovation of a residence in Nara City originally constructed in the Taishō period. The building had been used primarily as rental housing, underwent several additions and alterations, and was eventually left vacant. Roof leaks and termite damage had severely affected columns, beams and earthen walls, and the site had become overgrown and sombre because of an extended wet area added in the garden and unchecked tree growth. Demolition and rebuild were considered, but setback requirements on three road frontages prevented construction of a building of the same scale, and the client had a strong desire to live in a machiya-like house; consequently renovation was selected.
Reinforcing earthen walls for seismic performance and repairing them using traditional construction methods would have required greater time and cost than a new build. Likewise, applying comprehensive thermal insulation and high airtightness to the whole house would have destroyed the subtle relationship between interior and exterior that characterises a machiya. Therefore we positioned a compact living room at the heart of the plan and carried out seismic strengthening and thermal upgrades using contemporary construction techniques. Around this core we arranged a nested plan of semi-outdoor interstices—entrance, storage, garage, engawa (verandah), toilet, library and staircase—so that indoor, semi-indoor and outdoor realms overlap and resonate while controlling cost, thereby inheriting the atmosphere of a traditional townhouse.
Building Overview
Household composition | Married couple and one child Structure and scale | Timber-framed two-story building Use | Detached single-family house Site area | 40 tsubo [130 m²] Gross floor area | 30 tsubo [100 m²] Construction area | 30 tsubo [110 m²] Design supervision | Yoshihiro Yamamoto & Kaori Mitsuhashi [yyaa] Structural collaboration | Ippei Yasue [Workshop] Construction | [Aoyama Construction Co.] Kitchen | [KANWORKS] Joinery hardware | [Tsumugi Trading Co.] Reclaimed joinery | [Terakawa Shop] Nameplate fittings | [Kamite Workshop] Curtains | [fabricscape] Exterior landscaping | Takeo Matsushita [soji]
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