shigeru aoki builds a kindergarten over a 100-year-old wooden house in japan

in the yamaguchi prefecture of japan, shigeru aoki architect & associates has completed matsuzaki kindergarten. melding past and present into one renewed early education building, the project involved the retrofitting of a traditional japanese house that has stood on the site for 100 years.

all images courtesy of shigeru aoki architect & associates

with the aim of preserving the incredible timber structure of the existing building, shigeru aoki architect & associates set out to carefully retain and renovate the house, which had deteriorated over the years. the house is not only reused in new playroom and canteen functions, but the traditional japanese elements have also been retained such as the warehouse, tearoom space and ceiling structures. working with the H-shaped layout, the house has been separated and renovated in two different ways.

the south wing of the H-layout is now a large playroom and canteen space. all the unnecessary earth walls and finishes have been removed to reduce the weight of the building. what remains is the original frame structure and hanging partition walls, which are sufficient for seismic resistance and create a more open ambience. the roof tiles of the existing building are removed and covered by a steel frame, therefore, the house is no longer a building, but a playground under one large roof. alternatively, the north wing has been renewed without a drastic transformation, and now contains the kitchen, toilet and storage.

the retained timber frame in the canteen space allows the children to see, touch and experience the traditional wooden structure. moreover, the curtain wall on the front of the building reveals the activities taking place inside to passersby, creating a connection between the kindergarten and local people. the project has been realized under shigeru aoki’s concept of ‘refining architecture’, which you can see more of on their website here.

project info:

project name: matsuzaki kindergarten playroom

location: yamaguchi prefecture, japan

architect: yasunori waki – shigeru aoki architect & associates

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