Akio Isshiki Architects clads House in Saidera in charred cedar
Japanese studio Akio Isshiki Architects has used details including a floor-level window and shoji screens within this wood-clad Osaka residence that aims to "set a new standard for contemporary living".
The two-storey gabled home, which was designed for a family of five, is named House in Saidera after its location in Osaka, where a mix of traditional and contemporary Japanese dwellings can be found.
Studio founder Akio Isshiki wanted to create a modern interpretation of a Japanese house and construct it using the traditional shinkabe method, which sees the columns and beams of the house expressed on the interior.
The architect clad the 96-square-metre house in cedar, alternating between charred and natural-coloured panels.
While this was done for practical reasons, it also creates a striking two-toned facade that adds a modern touch to a traditional-style building.
"Charred cedar is highly durable due to the charcoal on its surface," Isshiki told Dezeen.
"I chose natural cedar near the entrance to prevent the charcoal from coming into contact with people and staining them."
House in Saidera is located on an unusually shaped, flagpole-like plot.
"It is a deep site with a slim approach facing the street that expands into a wider area at the back, similar to a flag, the wide area, with a pole, the slim area," Isshiki explained.
Here, the architect created a two-storey house with a simple form that draws on typical Japanese homes but prioritises an open design and connections between the rooms.
"While keeping floor heights low, the structure is exposed, and a single layer of cedar boards serves simultaneously as the second-floor flooring and the first-floor ceiling," he said.
The kitchen and dining rooms sit in the centre of the house, with a Japanese-style room off to one side. Here, the architect created a tokonoma alcove in which to display flowers and art.
This part of the ground floor also has a floor-level window, which Isshiki designed so that its shutters can be folded into a notch in a custom-made bench next to it.
"[Floor-level windows] create the illusion of a continuous floor and a sense of spaciousness," the architect explained.
"This is a common design in Japanese-style rooms. In this house, we wanted to show off the stone wall of the neighbouring house on the west side."
Isshiki also created an engawa, a narrow wooden platform that connects the interior of a home with its garden, on the eastern side of the house.
Bedrooms are located on the second floor and feature doors that slide into the frames of the house itself.
"The columns and beams act as frames for the sliding doors, thereby eliminating part of the door frames," Isshiki said.
"These operations enhance the independence of the structural skeleton and draw out a clear expression related to shinkabe construction."
Isshiki said that as people shift from sitting on the floor to a table, Japanese-style rooms have gradually disappeared. There are also other reasons why they are no longer as common.
"Ceremonies using Japanese-style rooms, such as memorial services and children's celebrations, are being held less frequently at home," he said.
"Decorative Japanese-style designs are expensive to construct," Isshiki added. "Japanese design elements are being stripped away by the trend toward modernisation and rationalisation."
However, the architect believes that elements of traditional Japanese homes, such as engawa and washi-paper shoji screens, can continue to be appreciated.
With House in Saidera, he hopes to "create a neutral Japanese house that would set a new standard for contemporary living through a modern interpretation of Japanese architectural elements".
Other recent residential projects in Japan include a Tokyo home with louvres made from tropical wood and an off-grid home topped by a large metal roof.
The photography is by Benjamin Hosking.
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