Shogo Aratani Architect & Associates

A remodel of an 80-year-old Kyoto “machiya,” or town house. By fitting a box made from 28mm plywood inside the existing frame, the architects achieved structural reinforcement and at the same time created a new room. Their aim was to use the contrast between the newly-added box and the existing structure to resuscitate the machiya’s essential appeal: a traditional house becomes modern through the use of new architectural technology.