House Miyagino

What used to be an old-wooden Japanese building, is now a private house with a tofu café, developed around one core, two volumes and three stories, designed by Kazuya Saito Architects.

Located 1,5 km east of Sendai station, House Miyagino – designed by Kazuya Saito Architects – used to be a two-story wooden house also used as a tofu shop owned by the client’s grandfather.

The surrounding area used to be a shopping street, marked by narrow buildings that trace back the old days. Once the house became old and dangerous, architects Kazuya Saito decided to divide the space in two long narrow volumes, to achieve harmony with the context. The east side of the volume is 2,7 m cantilevered to secure a parking space, while the thick exterior wall – designed with a tofu motif – bears a plaster finishing. The thickness of the wall hosts facility equipment in it, and protects from direct sunlight and rainwater, without having to install eaves.

The interiors combine high and low ceilings, with bright spaces facing south – where we find the public tofu cafe – while the private rooms are placed on the opposite side with a more private lower ceiling. While securing the independence of each room, the connection of the core to the two different volumes gives access to each room, gently expanding the living spaces sequentially. The core also guides from the entrance towards the terrace, securing daylight for the whole house and supporting the cantilevered area.