maki yoshimura adds lifted volume to 'house in nishisakabe' renovation in japan

maki yoshimura architecture office (MYAO) has renovated and extended a house originally built in 1984 in a typical suburban area of japan‘s mie prefecture. the existing building has been segmented into three volumes, preserving the original wooden frame, while a new, fourth volume is added to the residence. this volume differentiates itself from the rest of the building as its floor level has been lifted above the original roof.all images by tomohiro sakashita

35 years after it was originally built, maki yoshimura architecture office has now transformed house in nishisakabe into a multi-volume residence for the client and their new family. the project includes the renovation of the original, 1984 building, and the addition of a new structure that is instantly noticeable from the outside. the original building has been segmented into three volumes, which, together with the new addition, form ambiguous places between them, where various activities take place.

with an interest in utilizing the information ‘hidden’ within the existing wooden structure, the japanese architect has highlighted the ambiguous spaces created between the segmented volumes by allowing several activities to occur there. ‘the theme of this design is not a segment or a framework but a compromise,’ explains maki yoshimura. ‘a lot of things are happening in these in-between spaces…there is also a feeling that it is a chaos of life, and I want to accept that dynamic feeling.’

project info:

name: house in nishisakabe

architect: maki yoshimura architecture office | MYAO

lead architect: maki yoshimura

gross built area: 140.56m2

location: mie prefecture, japan