project: sendai house
location: miyagi
type of use: private house & cafe
status: on going
credits:
architect: kentaro kimizuka/kimizuka architects
structural engineer: akira ouch/s form
photo: kentaro kimizuka
brief description:
Sendai House is an innovation project of a typical Japanese traditional farmer’s house that was almost destroyed by the big earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
Although most people left the disaster area or newly built a modern prefabricated house, the client who is a son of the owner decided to return Sendai from Tokyo with his wife and child and to maintain the house all his life. He also has a plan to make a small cafe restaurant in the house, using fresh self-made vegetables and rice.
The project is divided into several stages to realise his vision without typical debt. Therefore it will take time to reach the completion. However all we believe that the process story will bring another type of wealth that is different from what we usually know.
The first stage of this project is to restore and reinforce the structure and to complete the facade works as much as possible, based on the master concept plan we set out.
The design aims to keep the balance between new and old, contrast and harmony, physical and spiritual, visible and invisible, and etc. Everything is to make this house survive for the next generation.
Now, the client and his family is going to start their Sendai life after the second stage.