Traditional wooden town house renovation in Nara, Japan

This beautiful home is called the Wood Old House, a very good name for it. It’s situated in Gose-city, Nara, Japan and it was completed in 2011. It was a project by Tadashi Yoshimura Architects who worked with structural engineer Kazuhiro Yamaguchi and general contractor Nakayama Komuten. The house sits in a 634 square meter site and the house itself covers a surface of 139 square meters.

Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9

The project involved the renovation of a traditional wooden town house in Nara, Japan. The house was originally built about 200 years ago so it had a lot of history behind. The renovated residence was created for a young couple and their children. The house actually consists of several small buildings with spot gardens and passage gardens between them.

Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9
Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9
Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9
Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9
Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9
Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9
Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9
Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9
Wood old house tadashi yoshimura architects9

The interior has been remodeled using new materials except for the main structure and the façade which still feature some of the original elements. In rest, the original model can no longer be seen. The architects inserted a void space in the house’s structure creating porch by opening all sliding window panels as well as a new small earthen floor space that connects existing spot gardens and passage gardens, facilitating lighting and ventilation. By doing that, the architects managed to create a connection between the old and the new and also to create a fusion between the buildings and the gardens.{found on archdaily}