Returning home is deeply intentional, not just to a place, but to a life shaped by memory and light. That’s what YNAS captures in their renovation of the House in Miyakonojo, Japan, blending tradition with openness to redefine belonging.
A couple, after raising their children and changing careers, returned to the wife’s ancestral home in Miyakonojo to live alongside her father. The original structure was steeped in tradition, with rooms divided by sliding screens along a dim, L-shaped corridor. This layout closed off the house from both its inhabitants and the expansive landscape beyond.
Transformation through openness
YNAS dismantled these introspective barriers, transforming the house into a space that thrives on openness. The once-cramped interiors became free-flowing and interconnected, allowing for a home that shared between generations breathes and nurtures connection.
The studio’s innovative design philosophy embraces openness as a form of protection rather than confinement. This approach is most evident in the exterior, where YNAS introduced timber-framed, corrugated metal canopies. These industrial yet graceful structures extend living areas outdoors, seamlessly integrating features like an outdoor kitchen and a wood-fired bath into daily life.
Redefining community and continuity
According to YNAS, this design allows the house to become a vital part of the landscape through visible “signs of life.” In this view, visibility isn’t mere exposure but a communal link, signaling a home filled with life and love.
The project respects its storied past without being constrained by it. Ancestral structures coexist with new, open spaces that connect with the garden and sky. Corrugated metal rests alongside aged timber, unapologetic and harmonious. Under this roof, three generations find shared space, as the house seems to gently inhale and exhale with them. In Miyakonojo, YNAS has quietly revolutionized the idea of home, ensuring it feels as much a part of the world outside as within.
Source: yankodesign.com