Keiji Ashizawa Converts 120-Year Kyoto Machiya into Holiday Rental

The Toune holiday home in Kyoto’s Shimogyo Ward is a renovation by Keiji Ashizawa Design of a 120-year-old machiya. The two-storey, 90-square-metre house preserves its traditional entrances, timber framework, and passageways while introducing light-filled spaces and refined materials.

New features bring a contemporary sensibility. The house honors its history while offering a modern retreat.

A Kyoto machiya reimagined: Toune holiday home by Keiji Ashizawa Design

Keiji Ashizawa Design retains the building’s agari kamachi raised entrance and the tori-niwa indoor passage. The structural timber is kept visible, celebrating the craft of the machiya.

Existing cedar and pine elements are preserved. New hinoki cypress details are woven into the interiors.

The palette uses natural materials like plaster, washi paper, stone, and iron. These choices create tactile richness and a quiet atmosphere for contemporary living.

The renovation keeps the historic layout. A double-height central space connects the ground-floor kitchen and dining with the first-floor living room.

This vertical feature expands openness but maintains the intimate scale of machiya interiors. The ground floor includes one bedroom, kitchen, and dining area.

The first floor has two bedrooms and a living room. New wooden floors and handrails reinforce the building’s timber identity.

Key design moves and materials

• Preserved agari kamachi elevated entrance and tori-niwa indoor passage, with the timber structure exposed to celebrate the machiya’s craft.
• Retained cedar and pine elements, complemented by integrated hinoki cypress details for warmth and modern tactility.
• Natural materials throughout: plaster walls, washi paper screens, stone floors, and iron details create an honest material language.
• A double-height central space visually connects the ground-floor kitchen/dining with the first-floor living area and enhances daylight.
• The ground floor plan follows the original machiya rhythm: one bedroom plus kitchen/dining, with the first floor offering two bedrooms and a living room, all updated with timber finishes.
• A neutral palette of white and dark brown provides a calm backdrop. The ground floor uses a deeper tone for patina, while the first floor is lighter to emphasize openness.

Modern furniture and lighting are introduced to highlight, not overshadow, the architecture. The focus remains on light quality, spatial proportions, and material relationships.

Light, color and spatial logic

The design enhances the machiya’s natural play of shade and brightness by prioritizing light and proportion. The lighter first floor welcomes daylight, while the darker ground floor reflects the building’s patina and traditional materials.

White surfaces and deep timber tones balance each other, emphasizing the tactile mix of plaster, wood, paper, and stone. This creates a refined, sculptural interior.

A calm, unified atmosphere through layered time

Keiji Ashizawa aimed to reveal and amplify the machiya’s existing qualities—history, craft, and nature. The Toune project respects the townhouse’s scale, celebrates organic materials, and choreographs light and shadow in a serene composition.

Photography is by Tomooki Kengaku. Furniture is by Karimoku Case and lighting by Santa and Cole.

Machiya as living heritage: a broader context

Renovations of machiya are increasingly valued for their intimate scale and durable natural materials. They also highlight the rich interplay of light, shadow, and gardens.

The Toune project is part of a larger architectural and cultural conversation. It explores how to adapt traditional urban housing for modern, comfortable living while preserving its historical essence.

This project shows how timber craftsmanship and environmental design can be translated into a modern holiday home. It maintains the spirit of Kyoto’s architectural heritage.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Keiji Ashizawa creates holiday home within historic machiya