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A Lovely Re-use in an Ancient Japanese Village

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In a village on Teshima, an island lying in the Seto Inland Sea, a vacant house set among the old houses of the village, was converted by architect Koichi Futatsumata from CASE-REAL into a dormitory for seasonal restaurant workers.

Depopulation in the isolated village has left many houses vacant.

The idea was to make the most of a vacant house, as an example of a way to cope with depopulation, a problem for Japan, by making a dormitory for restaurant workers.

The interior space is comprised of three private rooms and a lounge, and a small courtyard set in the middle.

The huge white terrace extends out to the open space bringing a sense of relief and freedom.

Inside and out, woods, stones, and plasters are all in whites, with different expressions and tones.

Restful white makes a peaceful dormitory, allowing sleep day or night for restaurant shift workers.

In Japan, white is not only a symbol of new beginning, but the sacred color representing purity, innocence, and peace.

All the furnishings and functional features of the dormitory are in various white materials.

The only break can be seen laying down. Here are some of the original rafters from the old house that was their before.

The deteriorated traditional Japanese style roofing shingles were replaced.

The new roof followed the basic form and color of the original, elegantly integrating old and new.

But the dark wood exterior, remembered by the villagers, cladding the existing wall facing the lane was left untouched.

This sensitive integration of new and old gently expands the language of the existing architecture on the island.

New elements of new Japanese style, like these beautiful doors, are are carefully blended in without clashing with the surrounding village, which remains unchanged from ancient times.

Photographs: Hiroshi Mizusaki

Via Arch Daily