House in Jinseki
House in Jinseki is a minimalist residence located in Hiroshima, Japan, designed by REIICHI IKEDA DESIGN. This plateau region project at 400-700 meter elevation 1.5 hours north of Fukuyama city demonstrates how phased renovation can address multiple structures within single property while maintaining visual harmony across construction periods. The site’s beautifully expansive landscape informs spatial organization with main building, annex, and barn arranged east-west enabling mountain views across the way.
The first construction phase from 2021 renovated main building and barn while second phase addresses annex used as guest room alongside main garden and well construction providing full mountain view access. This phased approach demonstrates practical renovation strategies for multi-structure properties where budget constraints or occupancy requirements prevent simultaneous construction across all buildings, allowing gradual improvement while maintaining property functionality.
The detached wooden annex’s relatively recent construction compared to main house and barn eliminated reinforcement work requirements though its newness disrupted overall balance as only element standing out visually. Visual harmony restoration replaced aluminum window frames with wooden ones aligning annex with adjacent main building’s charm and aesthetic, demonstrating how fenestration material changes can dramatically affect building character and inter-structure visual relationships without major structural interventions.
The design revives traditional Igura-Tsukuri house style from Hiroshima’s Kamo region – laid-back bungalow featuring decorative upper story expressed through two-layered roof structure with upper roof and lower roof similar to surrounding building exterior styles. This regional typology revival demonstrates how contemporary renovation can engage local architectural traditions through formal reference rather than strict historical reproduction, maintaining cultural continuity while accommodating current functional requirements.
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