tadashi yoshimura breathes new life into thatched sloping roof of japanese residence

tadashi yoshimura architects has renovated the main structure of the yamato residence, located in a small village in the northern part of the nara basin, a valley in japan‘s nara prefecture. the architects have given the structure’s main characteristic, its thatched sloping roof, which had long been out of function, a second life by turning it into an interior element that creates a comfortable environment while controlling humidity and temperature.

all images courtesy of tadashi yoshimura architects

built around the middle of the edo period, the yamato building is surrounded by small-scale buildings with steep sloped roofs that have taken various functions in the past. tadashi yoshimura architects has taken on the renovation of the structure, transforming it into an interface that connects with the town as an initiating act for the regeneration of the entire area.

by adding a new layer into the existing roof structure of the yamato building, the architects have enriched the relationship between the environment and the household, while creating a more complex, atmospheric spatial experience. air between the new interface and the existing skin moves through the chimney on steep roof, and can be adjusted by opening and closing 33 fixtures that were pierced at the boundary surface.

project info:

architect: tadashi yoshimura architects

location: nara basin, japan