在群山之間，大阪建築事務所 RID 為神石高原一棟傳統農屋展開改造計畫：「House in Jinseki 2nd」
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda
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Located in the eastern highlands of Hiroshima Prefecture, Jinseki-Kōgen is a plateau village set between 400 and 700 meters above sea level, about a ninety-minute drive from Fukuyama. Surrounded by mountains and open fields, the landscape unfolds in a quiet rhythm of farmland and woodland, forming a calm and unhurried way of life. The residence stands on a gentle rise, composed of three timber structures —a main house, an annex, and a granary— arranged along an east-west axis at the edge of the slope.
Osaka-based practice Reiichi Ikeda Design began the first phase of renovation in 2021, focusing on restoring the structure and daily functions of the main house and granary. The aim was to bring them back into use as a residence and to lay the foundation for a gradual renewal of the entire property.
As the winter snow melted and spring approached, the second phase began. This stage centered on transforming the annex, located between the main house and the granary, into guest rooms for friends and family. At the same time, the main garden and well were constructed. As the garden took shape, distant mountain views were gradually drawn into the composition, and the annex became an integral part of the larger landscape.
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda
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Compared with the older main house and granary, the annex was built more recently and required no structural reinforcement. Yet its newer materials and appearance disrupted the sense of time and harmony across the site. To restore visual continuity, the team replaced the original aluminum window frames with wooden ones, aligning the material and proportion of the openings with those of the main house.
The design also drew inspiration from the traditional IGURA-TSUKURI house of Hiroshima’s Kamo region, known for its distinctive double-roof form: a smaller, steeper upper layer above a broader, gentler one. By reinterpreting this technique, the architects extended the horizontal lines of the roof while softening the annex’s angularity, allowing it to settle more naturally into its surroundings.
Inside, the ground floor was reorganized into three guest rooms and a utility area. The largest room retained its double-height ceiling, reaching more than five meters, enabling air and light to flow freely. Through the newly created courtyard well, the view extends toward the layered ridges of the distant mountains, connecting the interior once again with the landscape beyond.
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda
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Continuing the spirit of the first phase, the interior once again involved collaboration with washi craftsman Wataru Hatano from Kurotani. Through the careful use of colored handmade paper, each room was given a distinct tone of light and atmosphere.
These color choices emerged from direct dialogue and on-site observation, reflecting how the team and craftsman sought to capture the space’s emotional balance. They used the paper’s texture, translucency, and layered hues to respond to shifting daylight and human perception, tracing the subtle relationship between nature and interior.
The washi appears primarily on the ceilings, where shades of indigo, moss green, and ochre red correspond to each room’s orientation, lighting, and scale. Together they create environments that feel grounded, serene, or gently enveloping. These tones act as a quiet medium, allowing the space to breathe and nurturing a sense of calm that can be felt rather than described.
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda
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Parallel to the interior work, the garden and well in front of the annex were designed as extensions of the architecture. By preserving open ground between the building and landscape, and by layering platforms, paving, and planting, the architects created a soft transition where the space seems to exhale at its edges. From the guest rooms, the broad wooden windows frame a sequence of views—from the well and gravel path to the distant mountains and fields—expressing a refined sensitivity toward both sight and pause.
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda
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The renovation of House in Jinseki was never intended as a single, large-scale transformation. For Reiichi Ikeda, architecture becomes a convergence of material, craft, and emotion, each participating in the process of redefining space.
This second-phase renewal, House in Jinseki 2nd, embodies that philosophy. The intent was not to create something new, but to let the place return to a state of coexistence with daily life. By respecting every trace of time and intervening only minimally, Ikeda harmonized the past and present through subtle details. The architecture now evolves with its inhabitants and the passing seasons, becoming a vessel that holds intimacy, sensory experience, and dialogue with its environment.
In this way, the meaning of dwelling extends beyond function. It becomes a shared process of living with space, shaping and being shaped by it—much like the slow transformation of the highland landscape itself, where time quietly molds everything it touches.
Photo by Yoshiro Masuda