The ideal of a home changes with each life stage. For homeowners, decluttering or downsizing requires a bold decision, but it's also a choice to not make that decision. By closely supporting the client's reality, we proposed a space that allows them to envision a positive new lifestyle.
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It was once the ideal for a Showa-era nuclear family: a detached house with a south-facing garden near the city center. Thirty years on, many people, even after their children have moved out or their partner has passed away unexpectedly, want to continue living in this same house, but with a renewed sense of purpose. The initial consultation for this project came from a daughter, a contemporary of mine. Focusing first on her mother's daily comfort, she requested a plan that would account for future care, the process of decluttering, and the distant future, which led to our proposal for a house reduction.To allow for life to be self-contained on a single floor, the bathroom was moved to the ground level with a ceiling height of 5.1m. The ceiling of the sunroom was raised to 4.3m by removing the concrete floor, which also helped release heat. The circulation path connecting these spaces was then internalized from the outside. The design promised a bright future, one where the client could enjoy the sea and the earth.But it was when I suggested we peel back the ceiling to check the floor joists that the project was put on hold. The woman realized she wasn't ready to "destroy the memories that are the house." This made me understand that a house reduction is a process where the resident confronts their own life, and that our role as architects is to support them through it. I now hope to slowly and patiently see how this home is passed on for generations to come.