Kamakura Heritage Villa

Kamakura, Japan

Year

2023

Site area

850 m²

Building area

220 m²

Duration

18 months

Program overview

  • Preservation and modernization of a traditional pre-war timber home.
  • Functions as a serene retreat integrated with the surrounding maple garden.
  • Features a large central living hall that opens fully to the outdoors.
  • Designed to facilitate passive ventilation through the deep roof structure.
  • Merges historic carpentry with modern insulation and glazing standards.

Look at the exterior

Look at the interior

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Key features

  • Deep Eaves: Massive overhanging roof protecting the wooden facade from rain.
  • Grid Lattice Work: Double-height window grids creating a geometric light filter.
  • Sliding Facade: Ground-level doors that retract completely to erase walls.
  • Aged Timber: Dark-stained cedar siding showing natural patina.
  • Stone Plinth: Raised stone foundation lifting the wood off the damp earth.
  • Central Column: A single, massive timber pillar visible as the structural anchor.
  • Paper-Style Glazing: Frosted lower panels mimicking traditional Shoji privacy screens.

Architectural approach

  • Wabi-Sabi Aesthetics: Celebrating the imperfection and age of the original materials.
  • Engawa Living: Emphasizing the transitional "edge" space between inside and out.
  • Structural honesty: Exposing the post-and-beam framework rather than hiding it.
  • Horizontal Grounding: Using the low, wide roofline to connect the building to the earth.
  • Framed Views: Using the architectural grid to curate specific views of the garden greenery.

Now look at the interior

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