A New Reduction House in Kawagoe

A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi

A NEW REDUCTION HOUSE IN KAWAGOE

DOG

ARCHITECTS
DOG

AREA
87 m²

YEAR
2019

MANUFACTURERS
IOC, Toto, Adobe, LIXIL, SHIKOKU CHEMICALS CORPORATION, Trimble, Vector Works

PHOTOGRAPHS
Nao Takahashi

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Ryutaro Saito

DESIGN TEAM
DOG

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Tetsuya Tanaka, Tetsuya Tanaka Structural Engineers

BUILDER
FREEDEA

LOCATION
Kawagoe, Japan

CATEGORIES
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

This is a project to reduce a traditional 50 year old Japanese house because it is too large for two adults to live in. Originally, it was a corridor + marginal type, and the interior was dark as a whole, and there was almost no light even on the north side during the day.

A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi

According to the inspection, it was also revealed that the existing main house had no seismic resistance and only the eastern extension was braced, so the overall seismic balance was poor.

Therefore, we decided to dismantle the building west side (about 1/4 of the whole) leaving behind the "framework and roof".

A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi

The Japanese roof tiles of this house were quite good, and we felt that the essence of the tiles was effective on the gable-end side.

As a result, a semi-outdoor space is created, and by applying gravel to the inside of the foundation, it becomes a rock garden with a mysterious texture.

A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi

Furthermore, RC walls were used at the boundary between the rock garden and the interior space.

Hitting RC at a height that does not reach the wooden beam, swallowing existing wooden pillars and tightening them to make "shorter columns" and perform seismic reinforcement that RC is not too effective, and expected as a texture that evokes a new life.

A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi

This RC wall extends from the house and also serves as the gate of the shrine on the site.


A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
© Nao Takahashi


A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
Floor Plan
A New Reduction House in Kawagoe
Section