Follow the latest Hachise renovation projects and learn about the concept and stories behind each of our renovated Machiyas.
2018.11.29 "Project Morocco" updated
2018.10.16 "Project Morocco" updated
2018.9.11 "Project Morocco" updated
2018.8.29 "Project Morocco" updated
Japan and Morocco, separated by two continents, are more than 11 thousand kilometers apart. Despite the lack of things in common, they both put great value on the preservation of architectures. We are eager to blend the two cultures together through the form of Kyo-Machiya. Keep watch on the transformation of a traditional Machiya with a touch of Moroccan vibe.
Located in a quiet neighborhood of Kyoto city, a Machiya awaits the renovation plan that will transform the whole place up side down.
Think about a Japanese house that makes you imagine the scenes of camels and deserts... how intriguing.
Today we had a discussion with our partner architect from "Kukunoya" on how to nicely apply Morocco elements and tastes on a Japanese Machiya.
There could be some unique color combinations here and there.
The topic during today's meeting revolve around interior lighting and washroom tiles.
Poor lighting has been a problem for many Machiyas due to their unique characteristics, but we want to make sure there is sufficient amount of light whether from outside or with interior lighting.
By looking at the bathroom tile samples, it seems like we are going to have a colorful but elegant bathroom.
It's cherry blossom season in Japan and Kyoto city is flooded with tourists as usual. On the other hand construction for project Morocco has finally started, and the first step is to remove unnecessary interior parts in order to reinforce the structure for a stronger and more reliable base.
Now that the inside of this Machiya has been mostly cleared out, the next step is to start building a new base. During the process we found these news papers from 1960s behind the walls. It was actually quite common back in the days to see news paper used as insulating material for Machiyas. Seeing the news on these news paper is almost if the events just happened yesterday... how time flies!
It's less than a week away from September but still no sign of the temperature cooling down. Morroco house has been in construction for the last few month and gradually making progress. The wooden pillars and beams are either being fixed or replaced, and once that's finished the inside of Morroco house will finally be transformed!
While the renovation is underway, we wanted to decide the lighting used for the entrance and tatami room of the house. We visited an antique lighting store "Tachibana Shoukai" in the Okazaki area looking to find the best match. As you can see in the photo, it certainly is not an easy job to pick from all these amazing antique lighting.
The construction of this Kyo-Machiya has entered the last stage of interior finishing, and finally we can start to feel the vibe of this house. The newly installed top light window above the stairway allows sunlight in the second floor, and the sunlight gently stretches to the bottom part of the stairway. We hope the house becomes a heart warming place for the family that arrives.
At last, the construction is over and the property is almost ready to be shown to the public! Stay tuned for the lastest information.
Somewhere around the philosopher’s path, we want to create a secret hideaway with a spacious yard that both adults and kids can enjoy. The yard can become your barbecue kitchen, or the kids’ private playground. You can even make Mt. Daimonji your play yard and enjoy hiking up the mountain for a bird's-eye view of Kyoto city.
Before the construction started, we found an interesting piece of history on top of the entrance door; a sign saying 'Dec 12th' showing backwards.
With some research, it seems Dec 12th was the day when the legendary outlaw hero Ishikawa Goemon was executed before Edo era, and the sign was showing backwards to scare burglars away (from the roof). It may be fairy tale, but good to feel protected by another legendary deity.
Coming Soon.
