It’s always a tricky proposition for an architect to design their own home and in a sense, that’s exactly what Japan’s Hitotomori Architects were doing when they came to develop new headquarters in the city of Nara, Japan. Rather than create a building that solely speaks to work, the company’s new home is representative of the new patterns that merge home life with the office, featuring a guesthouse, café, and design office within the same space.
Hitotomori’s new home was developed around the bones of an Edo-period house that dates back 140 years. Much of the design invites tradition into the new space with old roof tiles, local wood, and an inner garden achieving a look that never strays far from the feel of an original Nara town house. Modern fixtures and furniture have been added to modernise elements of the space, elevating, and enhancing the original. Follow the studio on Instagram.
Photograph © Hiroki Kawata for Hitotomori Architects