Episode

The homeowners were a German-Japanese couple who, after working in several countries and completing their assignment in Tokyo, had chosen to start a new chapter in life upon retirement. They decided to build their home on a part of a spacious property belonging to the wife’s family, located away from the city center. They envisioned a space where they could enjoy their second life: a garage for the husband’s hobby of restoring vintage BMWs, and a home with a large garden where friends and family could gather and enjoy the change of seasons.
The site was about an hour away from central Tokyo, in a residential area under development. Despite the urbanization, it was surrounded by lush greenery,
including woodlands and fields, providing a deep connection to nature and the seasons of the year. The couple had wanted a cheerful and welcoming home that would serve as the centre of their active lifestyle and vibrant community interactions. Living at a comfortable distance from the wife’s elderly parents, they sought to balance independence with frequent visits. The wife, who was actively involved in volunteer and community work, desired a home that could reflect their openness and served as an inviting space for gatherings, fostering joy and attachment for all those who visited.

Creating the Landscape
The property, spanning a generous 500 tsubo (approximately 1,650 square meters), allowed for the simultaneous planning of both the garden and the building. The site already had a variety of trees that the parents had planted and nurtured for over 30 years. While the presence of mature trees was a fortunate starting point for creating a spacious garden without the need to plant everything from scratch, the unplanned arrangement resembled a dense woodland.
To harmonize the trees with the architecture, we carefully assessed their health and longevity, undertaking significant transplanting work. The trees were strategically positioned so that each room facing the garden would offer a unique view.
Additionally, the soil excavated during the construction of the building’s foundation was used to create gentle mounds. These undulations prevented the expansive lawn from feeling monotonous, resulting in a dynamic and visually engaging landscape.

Creating Scenery with a Simple Architectural Plan and Landscaping
The main house was designed as a long rectangular structure oriented east to west, with ceilings that rise higher toward each end, creating a space where wind and sightlines seem to flow upward toward the sky. Except for the bedrooms and bathrooms, the interior spaces are connected as a single room, with large openings facing the southern garden in a straightforward, open layout.

Given the ample site, the clients requested a relatively large home despite being a household of two. To balance their desires with considerations for future maintenance, the depth of the house was kept compact. Instead, we proposed a deep overhang and terrace extending toward the garden, creating a sense of spaciousness beyond the physical dimensions of the interior rooms.

The eaves and terrace serve as transitional zones that mediate between the house and nature, shielding the interiors from sunlight, rain, wind, and snow. During the pleasant seasons, this area functions as an outdoor living space under the eaves. To ensure the eaves did not overly frame or obscure the views of the garden and sky from inside, we adjusted its height to be slightly elevated, minimizing its visual presence while maintaining its functional role.

Garage Life
The garage, designed for two cars, includes a maintenance pit, a workshop, and a loft space for storing rare parts that might become irreplaceable during the process of restoring vintage BMWs. The roof structure was built using reclaimed timber salvaged from the dismantling of a local traditional farmhouse, assembled with exposed joinery in the region’s traditional construction style. The combination of BMW restoration and the historic timber framework makes this garage a symbolic embodiment of the husband’s stylish garage life, which he shares with a global audience through his online activities.

Structure and Systems
The primary structure of the house uses a traditional Japanese post-and-beam construction method, with structural plywood walls providing seismic resistance. Due to the elongated rectangular floor plan, the short sides of the house concentrate the seismic walls, resulting in a nearly two-story atrium in the central living and dining area. To ensure rigidity and seismic safety, as well as to support large openings facing the garden, eight wooden rigid frames with 120 × 270 mm posts and 120 × 360 mm beams were incorporated into this central space.

In the garage, to support the heavy timber roof structure, 210 mm square posts were placed along the interior to bear the load of the beams. The horizontal forces are handled by shear walls along the garage’s perimeter.

To address the large amount of pine needles falling from the neighboring golf course's pine trees, the roof was designed with a central depression to collect rainwater. A single downspout was installed for ease of maintenance, making it simple to manage debris and water flow.