Client : private
Architect : Takuto Ihara
Program : holiday house
Location : Aso-Ubuyama, Japan
Size : 149 m²
Status : ongoing

This project is an extension and renovation of a house built in the 1930s, located in a residential area on the outskirts of Berlin. The existing house stands on a long and narrow plot, and the main challenge was to maximise the living space for the family while preserving, as much as possible, the existing garden and a pine tree over 100 years old.

The client wished to create a clear contrast between the existing house and the new extension. Therefore, the original street-facing house, including its characteristic roof form, was carefully preserved. The extension was constructed using a prefabricated timber structure combined with straw insulation panels. The existing house is finished with rendered walls that relate to the surrounding buildings, while the extension is clad in charred timber boards, expressing the different periods and construction methods in a straightforward way.

At the same time, the aim was not only to create contrast but also to bring the two parts together as one house. Although different materials are used, both the rendered facade and the charred timber cladding share a vertical expression, creating a common rhythm across the entire facade. The roofs of both the existing house and the extension are finished with zinc, allowing the different roof forms to be unified through a single material and creating a coherent overall silhouette. In addition, a continuous eaves line wrapping around the building connects the existing and new parts, like a straw hat placed over the house, bringing the two volumes together as one unified home.

This idea is also reflected in the internal layout, where an open and continuous circulation route gently connects each space. Views and movement extend from the existing house through the extension and towards the garden and the woodland beyond, creating a spatial experience where architecture and landscape become closely connected.

Small Apartment E

Client : private
Architect : Takuto Ihara
Program : holiday house
Location : Aso-Ubuyama, Japan
Size : 149 m²
Status : ongoing

This project is an extension and renovation of a house built in the 1930s, located in a residential area on the outskirts of Berlin. The existing house stands on a long and narrow plot, and the main challenge was to maximise the living space for the family while preserving, as much as possible, the existing garden and a pine tree over 100 years old.

The client wished to create a clear contrast between the existing house and the new extension. Therefore, the original street-facing house, including its characteristic roof form, was carefully preserved. The extension was constructed using a prefabricated timber structure combined with straw insulation panels. The existing house is finished with rendered walls that relate to the surrounding buildings, while the extension is clad in charred timber boards, expressing the different periods and construction methods in a straightforward way.

At the same time, the aim was not only to create contrast but also to bring the two parts together as one house. Although different materials are used, both the rendered facade and the charred timber cladding share a vertical expression, creating a common rhythm across the entire facade. The roofs of both the existing house and the extension are finished with zinc, allowing the different roof forms to be unified through a single material and creating a coherent overall silhouette. In addition, a continuous eaves line wrapping around the building connects the existing and new parts, like a straw hat placed over the house, bringing the two volumes together as one unified home.

This idea is also reflected in the internal layout, where an open and continuous circulation route gently connects each space. Views and movement extend from the existing house through the extension and towards the garden and the woodland beyond, creating a spatial experience where architecture and landscape become closely connected.

House K

Client : private
Architect : Takuto Ihara
Program : holiday house
Location : Aso-Ubuyama, Japan
Size : 149 m²
Status : ongoing

The original house, a typical brick structure with a pyramidal roof, was built in the 1930s on a narrow plot. My client's main goal was to increase the living space for her family while preserving the existing garden.

To create a clear contrast between old and new, as requested by the client, I proposed a new plastered facade for the original building. The new extension features a wood construction and facade with a gable roof. This new roof form was chosen to seamlessly integrate with the simple architectural volumes of the surrounding houses.

The entire design prioritizes natural, simple materials and highlights specific details. Both the existing house and the new extension share vertical structural elements, which visually connect the two parts and ensure they feel like a cohesive whole. This sense of harmony is also reflected in the floor plan, which features an open, circular layout.

Yadoya Ubuyama