Green Sandwich House

As our own home, we set out to create a way of living in which work and everyday life overlap naturally. Instead of assigning rooms to fixed functions, we organized the plan around a double-height living space, loosely linking the kitchen, pantry, entry, and study so that work, hobbies, and daily routines can flow seamlessly. We also wanted the house to respond to Hayama's natural setting—and to gently evolve as our lives change.

We introduced honed terrazzo counters in the kitchen and washroom, and placed stones collected during our travels throughout the house to lend the spaces a quiet sense of character. Floors are solid oak and walls are lime plaster. Working within a structure that retains the original columns and beams, we selected warm materials and tones so that new interventions would sit softly—layering in without disrupting what was already there.

At the boundaries of the space we used light, sightlines, shifts in material, and movable elements rather than solid walls. For the large openings and the partition at the entry, we commissioned original curtains by textile designer Haruka Shoji, positioning them as devices that change the character of the space with the surroundings and time of day.

Light and greenery, the changing seasons, and the rhythms of everyday life continually layer and shift—slowly reshaping the house. Embracing that change, and the depth it gains over time, is what gives this home its form for us, as both residents and architects.