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
Weekend House
kooo architects
Silver

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Tina Norden
Partner
at Conran and Partners
Understated and surprising in its c...
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Justine Fox
Cofounder | Colour Specialist
at Calzada Fox
6
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6.75

Veronica Givone
Managing Director Hospitality
at IA Interior Architects
Great synergy between old and new....
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Anne-Rachel Schiffmann
Director of Interior Architecture
at Snøhetta
Beautiful dialogue between past and...
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8.25

Stefan Weil
CCO
at Atelier Markgraph
This has an overall contemplative a...
8
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Christiaan Fokkema
Partner
at Hollandse Nieuwe
Lovely. I like the designers' very...
7
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7.5

Omar Abdelghafour
Founder Principal
at Light Space Design
Japanese serentiy and simplicity at...
9
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9

Ruud Belmans
Creative Director
at WeWantMore
Very conscious design choices. I fe...
6
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7.25

Leni Popovici
Founding Director and Partner
at KAP Studios
A sensitive and modest upgrade to a...
6
9
6
8
7.25

Yifan Wu
Cofounder
at Sò Studio
6
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7

Mengjie Liu
Cofounder
at Sò Studio
7
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Gudy Herder
Trend Consultant
at Eclectic Trends
Perfect little gem you don't expect...
7
9
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7.75

Sonia Tomic
Senior Associate, Head of Furniture & Materials
at Universal Design Studio
7
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7.25

Liam Doyle
Principal
at Jump Studios
7
7
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Location
Designer
Client
Confidential
Floor area
55.1 ㎡
Completion
2020
Photographer
Lighting design
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