WORK-LIVE HAUS IN BISHAMONCHO

This project is an office and residence in Kyoto for a young, globally active landscape designer. The architectural focus was to create a spatial composition that prioritizes the garden, with the meeting room, gallery, and primary office spaces all oriented toward the main courtyard. Utilizing the unique "flagpole" site, the Western-style wing of the existing building was transformed into a white, highly transparent gallery. A single, rigorous axis pierces through this space. To maintain the purity of this line, custom steel sashes with minimal profiles were used, and interior columns were replaced with slender steel to minimize their visual presence. In the front garden approach, only the pedestal of a stone lantern is placed, creating a conceptual dialogue with the actual lantern ("Matsukaze") in the inner garden—a composition that plays with the themes of virtuality and reality.

The garden, designed by the client, was realized through a close collaboration with the landscape gardeners and stone artisans they have long trusted. At its heart stands "Matsukaze," a historic stone lantern crafted by Kinzo Nishimura. Modeled after Sen no Rikyu's gravestone, this masterpiece had been resting in the mountains for over a decade before finding its place here. Conversely, the decision to simply paint the existing cinder block wall white was a bold one. While I was initially struck by the radical simplicity of this approach, the completed space possesses a sublime and exquisite balance. As the architect, my focus remained entirely on how to enhance the presence of this garden. From the selection of materials for the exterior walls, eaves, and "nure-en" (veranda) to the meticulous framing of views through each opening, every detail was carefully considered. This project is a fusion of the client’s vision and exceptional craftsmanship, culminating in a space where "ultimate beauty" is refined to its essence.

The second-floor bedroom was designed as a spacious, open-plan studio integrating the living area. The building's history is unique: originally a single-story Machiya, it was later extended with a second floor using traditional construction methods to serve as a boarding house. Because the existing structure was somewhat disjointed, the structural reinforcement required meticulous planning. The exposed beams consist of original members supplemented by reclaimed antique pillars and "gorombo" (pine logs). While reinforcing with new, standardized materials would have been simpler, we chose to embrace the character of twisted logs. It took skilled craftsmen several days of painstaking hand-carving to adjust and fit each piece. The result is a space that breathes with a structural strength and historical depth that only authentic hand-craftsmanship can provide.

The study is a dedicated space for the designer-client’s contemplation, also serving as a guest bedroom for visiting family. In contrast to the expansive openness of the other rooms, we intentionally designed this as a "closed" space. To ensure this compact area felt enveloping rather than confining, we utilized its narrow, elongated proportions to create a sense of depth. By rounding the corners of the ceiling and meticulously applying Washi paper to soften the edges, we blurred the room’s physical boundaries. The result is a serene, sanctuary-like environment—a "cocoon" where diffused light and indistinct contours foster a deep sense of tranquility.

From the entrance to the first-floor meeting room, every material was selected with rigorous intent. The entrance door and "yukimi-shoji" (snow-viewing screens) feature solid antique Yakusugi cedar, while the corridors and verandas are floored with reclaimed zelkova sourced from a traditional house in Fukui and a temple in Ishikawa. The successful integration of these historic timbers—varying in thickness and requiring complex anti-warping treatments—is a direct result of masterful carpentry. We avoided standardized products even for the "tsuka-ishi" (foundation stones), opting instead for hand-selected natural stones. The interior and exterior showcase artisanal plasterwork, notably the "nakanuri" (intermediate coat) finishes with varied textures across walls and ceilings. At the craftsmen's suggestion, iron powder and soy sauce were mixed into the plaster—a technique inspired by the Taian teahouse—to cultivate a beautiful, deepening patina over time.

The Japanese-style meeting room is the centerpiece of this project—a vantage point designed specifically to embrace the garden crafted by the client. To dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior, we installed 2.7-meter-wide sliding doors with an outset mechanism, allowing them to retract fully into exterior pockets and create a seamless connection with the landscape. We meticulously preserved the original "sao-fuchi" ceiling while performing what we call "spatial tuning"—delicately modulating wall textures to refine the room's atmosphere. A monumental floorboard, repurposed from a massive timber plank found at a demolition site, anchors the space with its historical presence. Within this finely tuned environment, the central "tokonoma" (alcove) stands as the definitive protagonist of the interior.

At the heart of the tokonoma sits a colossal monolith. While three sides are precision-cut, the front face retains its raw stone texture. By eliminating clearance, we demanded absolute precision from both stonemasons and carpenters, allowing this landscape-scale element to radiate an overwhelming presence within the intimate room. The alcove is clad in Kurotani Washi. We selected this specific paper because its robust yet flexible fibers seamlessly follow the stone's rugged contours, creating a tactile harmony. Though not a formal tea room, we integrated a ro (sunken hearth) with a frame crafted from the stone’s offcuts, ensuring a singular, unified aesthetic.