maki yoshimura frames two-volume house in japan with timber truss skeleton

house in zengo by maki yoshimura architecture office (MYAO) is built as a changing vessel that sometimes doubles as a studio for art events. located in japan‘s aichi prefecture, near the center of the country’s main island of honshu, the residence is defined by two gable-roofed volumes, connected to each other via different parts of the interior spaces. 

photos by hiroshi tanigawa

maki yoshimura has used fiber cement siding for the exterior walls, and has chosen to highlight the structural framework, a timber roof truss, developing the house’s material and color palette accordingly. featuring ample natural light, the open, flexible interior spaces are characterized by grey hues with a few pops of color, combined with wooden flooring and furnishings. 

‘we first thought about a simple diagram adopting two axis from division of the site,’ notes maki yoshimura, ‘schemes are useful as a trigger for organizing relationships, but sometimes they spoil the space if overprinted. therefore, once introduced, the scheme is disintegrated afterwards according to the micro-circumstances, and then reapplied to different parts.’

project info: 

project name: house in zengo

architecture firm: maki yoshimura architecture office | myao

project location: aichi pref. japan

gross built area: 143.22m2

lead architects: maki yoshimura

other participants: structure design / rdm takushi nakayama + midori kanayama