Shigehara Honmachi House

Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett

Shigehara Honmachi House 

Tomoaki Uno Architects

LEAD ARCHITECT
Tomoaki Uno

PHOTOGRAPHS
Nathanael Bennett

AREA
78 M²

YEAR
2023

LOCATION
Kariya, Japan

CATEGORY
Houses

Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett

The site is on a slope with the highest northern face bordering the road and hanging south from there.

Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett

The client wanted a house to accommodate a family of four, including two (future) children.

They also wanted a space for a wood-burning stove and their surfboard.

Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett

The idea of using the slope to create a space with pilotis on the ground floor was immediately conceived.

At the same time, I had the idea of having the living space integrated into the wooden structure.

Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett

To make the transition clear and to improve the thermal insulation and waterproofing, I decided on using a vertical log structure with two rows of 9 cm square cedar timbers.

What I was also interested in above all else was creating a sublime relationship by combining different structures with the same material.

Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett

This was indeed the waon (和音) or harmony in the architecture.


Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett


Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett


Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett
Shigehara Honmachi House
© Nathanael Bennett


Shigehara Honmachi House
Plan - 1st Basement
Shigehara Honmachi House
Plan - 1st Floor


Shigehara Honmachi House
Section E
Shigehara Honmachi House
Section S


Shigehara Honmachi House
Elevation E
Shigehara Honmachi House
Elevation s