Takeru Shoji Architects Reinvent a House in a Remote Village

Hara House was designed by the Japanese architectural firm Takeru Shoji Architects, in the little rural village of Tsugurasone in Niigata prefecture. With its white roof, which seems stretched like a canvas that nearly reaches the ground, and its triangular shape, it forms a striking contrast with the traditional Japanese houses, ridges, and rice fields that surround it. The patrons designed the house to be a meeting point for the residents. ‘We created a space where passing neighbours, friends, and children can simply stop by.’

Revitalising the village

Built on a familial plot of land that already included a house, workshop, garage, farm building, and a dwelling made from vinyl, the aim of this new project was to integrate perfectly with the existing constructions, with the underlying wish to re-energise and modernise this little village that had fallen victim to rural depopulation. ‘Hara House is a way of revitalising those villages that were once a web of strong connections but that gradually weakened’, the Takeru Shoji Architects firm explains.

Built over two floors, this wood-framed house, the shape of which is reminiscent of that of a huge tent, has large openings to let the light into the inside space, where wood and the colour white dominate. Designed for a couple with two children, its 166 square metres include, on the ground floor, a living room, kitchen, small bedroom, and bathroom, while there are two ladders to reach the upper floor, where the children’s bedroom and the office are located. The small number of dividing walls accentuates the pared-down, almost ascetic style even further, just as the owners wished.

Hara House (2019), a project by Takeru Shoji Architects is available on their website.