This is a renovation project of a long-house style machiya in Kyoto.
A machiya is a type of traditional Japanese house where the two side walls do not have windows because they are shared by the neighbors, and the interior tends to be dark especially due to its long and narrow shape. A skylight was added according to the owner’s lifestyle, bringing new ways of illuminating and ventilating the space. We also removed the rotten and non-functioning building materials and upgraded sound and heat insulation quality.
Selected beam, columns, and the backyard were preserved and repaired. In contrast with the modern interior design, the beauty of these historical elements stands out more.
In terms of façade design, we chose to respect the historical style of the Kyoto streets and made minimum changes to the appearance. We invited traditional craftsmen to only touch-up the earth wall and re-sealed the decaying wooden window frame.
We believe being respective to the historical values should not be blindly enduring a lifestyle that is no longer appropriate nowadays, but at the same time, we also should not abandon all traces that once existed.
We hope that one can feel the memories of the past by increasing the presence of the existing components.