The 2M House

In this project title 2M stands for material memory. The design incorporates a few historical materials: the 60s' textured glass and the older ornamental transom windows. Both of them were reclaimed from the original 90-year old machiya.

 

In addition, karakami, the traditional hand-printed decorative paper was utilized to highlight the entryway and upstairs tatami room. Like other house projects by YA, the overall design was based on the idea of weaving the subtle beauty of the sky & natural light into the spatial experiences of the house

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It is a new vacation home for the owner's family.

 

The entire existing machiya was hollowed out on the inside, leaving some essential structural posts & beams only. Then new slab-on-grade concrete foundation was poured. 

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It is a new modern house inside the exterior shell of a 90+ year old machiya in residential neighborhood near Toujiin temple.

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On the first floor, the new open floor plan offers views of the small courtyard garden (tsuboniwa) in the back. 

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The second floor tatami room features the new vault ceiling that exposes the existing log roof beam. The new high window in the tatami room provides a view of the eastern sky along with ample natural light, producing an uplifting quality. 

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​(All photos by Kei Sugino, unless otherwise noted)

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