This is a renovation project for more than 90 year old row houses with the aim of a healthy society in a dense urban area in Kyoto. In this project, I try to re-connect the gap related to the three elements, namely town, houses, and people.
The first is revitalizing the connection between the past and future of the town by restring the façade and the own architecturally characteristic elements of the row houses. I agree with the words, “A town without old houses is like a human without memories” by Kaii Higashiyama, a Japanese painter.
The second is regaining the connection between the houses and outdoor space connected to nature and town while delicately protecting the privacy of indoor space. This makes the residents feel delicate changes in nature and want to go out and make good relationship with the people in the town.
The third is stimulating communication among multi-generational people living in the row houses through the renovated blind alley.
These three re-connections are designed by recomposing characteristic elements of the row houses (spot garden, sliding door made of paper, wooden vertical louver, finishing by plaster, indoor dirt floor and so on), traditional urban ones in Kyoto for modern life style.
I collaborated with Sachiko Morishige
 (Associate Professor at Kyoto Arts and Crafts University) in planning, and Mitsuda construction company in construction.