Renovation Workshop
Ōtaki, Chiba
Carpenter
Koji OSHIDA

Nagomi Architecture

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Tsumiki divided the process ofrenovating a single-storey farm housein the Chiba countryside into two
different, balanced zones of labor - one
where the work would be done byexpert carpenters and one where theclient would, after observing the workof the carpenters, perform the work
himself, with lots of guidance fromthe Tsumiki team. The kominka also
served as the site for several renovation
workshops, attracting both DIY
renovators and architecture students
alike.

Construction type
Concrete block + metal riser + 90cm2 bearer
45cm2 joists + foam board insulation + vinyl underlayment + plywood subfloor + flooring
Replacement of damaged 45cm2 joists + foam board insulation + flooring
Labor type
DIY construction by client
Tsumiki team / Tsumiki workshop participants7

A large portion of the renovation processof any old kominka must include adding
insulation to the building, both under thefloorboards and in between the roofbeams.
This added insulation gives the notoriously
cold and drafty kominka a new life, anddramatically increases thermal comfort in thehome throughout the year while reducing theheating and electric bill.

At one renovation workshop, participantslearned to install each element of a flooring
system, from simply digging holes, to joists,
insulation, plywood underlay, and hardwood
flooring, finished with a natural sealant.

8Bryan Ortega-Welch

For the kominka owner, the public workshop
may serve as a milestone to measure how far
they’ve come in their own skill development,
as they are asked to participate in the teachingprocess along with Tsumiki staff.

Likewise, for the professional carpenter, theseworkshops encourage them to grapple withhow to teach their craft to the public. This
moment of exposition for the carpenter isparticularly meaningful in a time when thenumber of working master craftspeople isdeclining in Japan, as fewer young people are
gravitating towards artisanal apprenticeships.
The public workshop offers an alternative way
for the master craftsperson to transmit theirknowledge to future generations.

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Bryan Ortega-Welch

Tsumiki clients and workshop participantslearn that there is a heirarchy of skilled actions
needed to renovate their house: some skills,
such as installing glass wool or foam board
insulation, require less precision and may belearned in a single morning. Other actions,such as cutting custom wood trim pieces fora house that is rarely ever level or plumb,require years of training to perform efficiently.
But perhaps the most empowering experience
for the DIY renovator, above and beyond thedevelopment of their skillset, is the ability
to begin to see their house as a knowable,
coherent system. Once a person understands
this system, they can begin to orchestrate thelabor necessary to improve it, even if they do
not possess the skills to perform all aspects ofthis labor themselves.

Bryan Ortega-Welch

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3 Step House
Kurame, Tokyo11

This renovation represented a majortransition for the client family. Their previous
residence was a spacious farmhouse deep inthe forest of rural Yamanashi. The children
had yet to experience the tight confines ofurban living - their country home featured alarge continuous open space that transitioned
from bedroom to living room. The open
floorplan of their kominka meant that family
members were rarely out of sight of eachother.

12During the design process, Tsumiki paid avisit to the client’s Yamanashi farmhouseto investigate the patterns of theirdomestic life. Through this consideration,
it was decided to demolish the partitionsof the four small rooms that divided their
new urban apartment, and unify thespace into a single, multifunctional room.

The sleeping areas of the parents andthe two teenage children surround acommon dining space. Privacy is achievedby translucent curtains that remain
permeable enough to admit sunlight intothe common space when drawn.

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The plan of the Three Step House proposes amode of family co-habitation that might beperceived as a somewhat radical scheme, onethat trades the security of individual space for
a commonwealth of natural light. Tsumiki felt
Katsuhiro Aoki

that the unique family closeness of their client
would make them amenable to this shared
floorplan, which might be a risky decision topropose to another client.

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ANDON
Nihonbashi-Honcho, Tokyo

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Katsuhiro Aoki

ANDON is located in Nihonbashi, a neighborhood that at one time was a mixture of small
shops and modest residences, is now dominated by imposing glass monoliths. A central
financial district of Tokyo, most of the property in Nihonbashi is owned by two or threecorporations. The ANDON building, a somewhat odd, very narrow 4 storey single-family
residence, has been sitting vacant: sandwiched in between office towers, too small to be ofcorporate use. Tsumiki worked with a restaurateur to devise a renovation scheme that would
bring the building out of retirement and back to life as an onigiri stand, a bar and a bookshop. The building had previously defied commercial renovation because of its narrowness,making it very difficult to install a commercial kitchen and enough space for customers todine.

16The renovation process was a war ofinches, every decision regarding thedesign of dining and preparation space
had to be carefully considered, as there
was no room to spare. The renovation
strategy prioritized the expenditureof professional labor on the first floor
and the facade, while the second,
third and fourth floor were completedby the client, using less costly DIYconstruction techniques.

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Once the walls were stripped bare and the concrete was
exposed, Tsumiki used this as a bass note for their materialchoices. When it was necessary to install new sheetrock, it was
plastered grey to resemble the raw concrete adjacent to it. Brass
trim elements and blonde wood walls brightly contrast against
the muted, hand-plastered grey textures. This process alsocelebrates roughness and imperfect technique, making it ideal

Katsuhiro Aoki

for the DIY renovator to attempt.

Patrons can eat at a standing bar on the first floor, or be servedin a small dining room above it that doubles as a specialty bookshop purveying subject matter on Tokyo and Japanese cuisine.

Katsuhiro Aoki

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Mirrors and bright chartreusepaint were used to counteract
any feelings of confinement thatmight arise in such a small space.
The green color also serves as aninvitation to ascend the staircase.
The success of ANDON reliesin part on the willingness of thecustomer to participate in its
vertical scheme.

Katsuhiro Aoki

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The proprietor of ANDON hails
from Akita, a northern coastal city
famous for, among other things,excellent quality rice, sake, andcedar timber. A motivating conceptbehind ANDON was to serve as abridge between his rural hometownand Tokyo, serving Akita rice andsake to its customers. With this inmind, Tsumiki used Akita cedar
planks for the facade, and worked
with the lumber yard to holda wood-charring workshop for
DIYers from both Akita and Tokyo.

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The word andon means “lantern” in Japanese, and was chosen
to express the intention of the business owners to serve as a
beacon of social activity in a business neighborhood that goesdark during the evening hours. After dark, the neon and warm
light spilling out of ANDON is the only lit area on the block.
The black facade accentuates the contrast between darkness andillumination, and makes this visual metaphor palpable even inthe day.

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Katsuhiro Aoki