kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office

 

revitalizing an abandoned house in japan

 

Kurosawa Kawaraten‘s latest project sees a renovation of an abandoned cabin, located in the rural area of Chiba, Japan. The plan is based on a concept that brings new life to buildings unnecessary to the owners and locals in order to host outsiders that were affected by the worldwide crisis and had to move to the suburbs.

 

The brief was to design a multi-purpose structure for happy remote workers, introducing a very innovative lifestyle for Japan. The entire project was established on a low budget, and thus, the design team decided to rejuvenate an available small structure next to the main building, decreasing the construction costs. 

 

As part of ‘the Ichihara Life and Work Commission’, a public-private partnership to accept people who want to move to the countryside, the project is conceived to host people forced to work from home. Therefore, the dwelling takes shape as a mixed-use structure, celebrating the traditional wooden craftsmanship of the area.

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office
all images by Masato Chiba

 

 

a pleasant place that supports working from home 

 

The renovation started by removing all the non-structural walls that divided the interior space and lessening the living area. The design team at Kurosawa Kawaraten maintained and exposed the high shed frame hidden in the ceiling. The foundation was made of concrete blocks, so it had to be reinforced. Since there was no budget for towing the house, the architects decided to partially place the foundation while retaining the upper framework. 

 

In order to create a mezzanine level, the architects lowered one part of the ground floor, employing a minimum change in the external form of the initial structure. Serving as a working space, this step floor level features a wide opening that offers amazing views towards the greenery surroundings, where the gaze can escape. In addition, the soil dug for the foundation was utilized as the finishing for the countertop panel of the Otsu polishing by the plasterer Tokura’s technique, and the bricks created in the workshop were used as the tiling for the reception counter.

 

When it comes to the materiality, the design team opted for trees (oak, mountain cherry, small oak, and magnolia) available on the side. Overall, the result sees a spacious low-budget house based on sustainable principles that aims to shape a warm atmosphere that supports workers from home. 

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office

 

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office
west elevation

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office
view from outside

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office
a mezzanine level functioning as office space

kurosawa-kawara-ten-transforms-neglected-house-low-budget-designboom-1800

office

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office
lowering the ground level to host a mezzanine level

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office
reception

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office
small yet functional kitchen

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office
reception counter made of bricks

kurosawa kawaraten transforms neglected house in rural japan into low-budget home office
dining room

kurosawa-kawara-ten-transforms-neglected-house-low-budget-designboom-18002

looking up from the path under

 

 

project info:

 

name: Ichihara Life and Work commission office
designer: Kurosawa Kawaraten

location: Chiba, Japan

photography: Masato Chiba

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissionsfeature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. See more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: christina petridou | designboom

 

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ARCHITECTURE IN JAPAN (1482)

KUROSAWA KAWARATEN (5)

RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN (723)

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS (3784)

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