Project Name: House in Minami-Machi
Architecture: Jun Yamaguchi Architects
Lead Architects: Jun Yamaguchi
Location: Matsuyama, Japan
Area: 126 m²
Year: 2023
Photo Credits: Hiroaki Zenke
This house is the architect’s own house, which also includes the architecture office. So, the house is not only for private residence but also a visitable house by anybody. The site is located in a residential area between the city center and Dogo-Onsen (the oldest hot spring in Japan) in Matsuyama, Ehime.
The floor plans are considered carefully. The ground floor and 2nd floor are explicit functions; the layout becomes a more private room as you enter the backspace away from the entrance. But each space is connected indirectly; for instance, the office and dining kitchen are connected by a glass door, and the ground floor and 2nd floor are connected by a void. what I want to say is you are able to feel the presence of your family in this house somehow.
Interior, exterior, and structure are mostly selected from local Japanese. The exterior walls are covered with Yaki-Sugi (charring and carbonizing the surface of Japanese cedar board). Because this material has been used here in Ehime for a long time, it should be suitable for the local climate. The surface is so beautiful when it has done. Also, you can feel the manual work by Daiku (a Japanese carpenter). But this material is not a usual finishing material for our age’s house. Because they think it is old fashion. That’s why I wanted to show Yaki-Sugi’s fascination, so I drew the details politely.
For the interior, walls and ceilings have been painted mostly white, and the floors are covered with natural local Japanese-cedar. So, the interior spaces are finished simply because you will increase your favorite things day by day. That’s why I think the interior should be designed as a living campus. However, you can see outside greenery from the inside because the windows are meticulously placed. The sunlight is coming in all the time and changes the color by hour.
With the greenery at its side, the small concrete path leads to the floating entrance that is also made of concrete. The Yaki-sugi house is surrounded by plenty of plants, so you can enjoy them when you approach to the house—also sharing greenery with your neighbors and the city.
