A sheet-metal craftsman's former workshop becomes a cedar house in Tatsuno, Japan

Tatsuno grew up around a medieval mountain castle, and that history shaped how Akio Isshiki Architects approached this two-storey house. It was once the home and workshop of a sheet-metal craftsman. Isshiki says he wanted the 144-square-metre renovation to answer the old streetscape, traces of the previous owner's trade, the client's wishes and the practical limits of regulations and structure.

The old workshop at the front now faces the street through a large sliding cedar lattice gate and a narrow porch. Inside it works almost like an enclosed terrace, with a small wooden toilet modelled on those in machiya townhouses. The staircase has moved into this space, and a metal ring found in the workshop now decorates its handrail. A stone beneath the first step marks where shoes come off.

Further in, a long approach leads to a bright garden. Part of the dining room was opened up into a terrace with an engawa platform and a glass door whose frame slides out of sight. Fresh cedar sits beside the darkened original timber, which Isshiki says brings a sense of time passing. Earthen plaster, Tunisian kitchen tiles and a built-in table add texture, and upstairs there is a sunken study and a tokonoma.

It's a private home, so this is one to read and enjoy, especially if you like old buildings brought gently up to date.

Our summary of a story from Dezeen, published 3 November 2026. Read the original

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