A Space Connecting Generations | Tunnel Haus - seki.design

This house was newly built to replace the client’s former residence. A key consideration was its relationship to the parents’ home on the adjoining north plot. Rather than simply constructing another independent house, the aim was to create a spatial connection. The design therefore cuts through the center of the building, forming a tunnel that links the southern approach to the parents’ home on the north side.

This tunnel-like space takes shape as a living-dining-kitchen (LDK) measuring 4 meters wide, 2.6 meters high, and 6.4 meters deep, framed in oak from the Daisetsuzan mountains. Extending the same finishes onto the exterior eaves, engawa, and terrace emphasized the idea of an “opening carved into the architecture.” At night, the south and north windows align like facing mirrors, reflecting the oak and the angled lighting, making the tunnel appear to continue endlessly.

Outline

A residence designed with awareness of its connection to the parents’ home on the north plot.
A tunnel through the center links the southern approach to the parents’ home on the north side.
The tunnel emphasizes the design of an “opening carved into the architecture” by extending interior finishes outdoors.

Shaping

Plans

1F

2F

Features

North and south gardens

The north garden is arranged with outdoor furniture as a space to be “actively enjoyed,” where the grandparents living to the north can spend time with their grandchildren.

The south garden, serving also as the approach, is a garden to be “enjoyed visually” and brings light into the tunnel. Though compact, it includes a meandering path and a small stone tsukiyama (artificial garden mound), giving it a rhythmic and playful character. A cedar wood fence made of Yakushima cedar boards is set back from the boundary to ensure privacy while still contributing to the streetscape.

Tokonoma shelves

Within the washitsu, a set of tokonoma shelves was crafted in blackened steel, designed to glow softly from the back. A bamboo lintel with its bark intact was reused from the former house. Tradition and modernity, past and present, are layered together here.

Corridor library

A space that might otherwise have become “just a long corridor” is used to full effect. Outfitted with a piano, bench, and bookshelves, it is a place where the children practice music, read books sprawled on the soft carpet before bedtime, or play card games together as a family. Adjacent to the laundry room, it also provides a spot to relax during housework.