Interview with YOSHIAKI NAGASAKA / hitotomori

*create a subtle contrast between the older Nara and the newer Nara*

— Yoshiaki Nagasaka / hitotomori

JP

photography : Hiroki Kawata
words : Reiji Yamakura/IDREIT

It was in 2021 that we first met Yoshiaki Nagasaka, director of the Nara-based first-class architectural firm Hitotomori. We then heard that he was operating a design studio and guesthouse in a 140-year-old Nara machiya house that he had renovated and designed themselves. He left a major contraction company where he worked for many years and set up his own design studio in 2019. At that time, they founded a cafe” and ‘Guesthouse Hitotomori’ in the same building, and are now applying their hospitality business experience in their design work. Last year, we visited the guesthouse and spoke to Mr Nagasaka about his design approach and Nara’s current creative industries.

Entrance corridor of a Guesthouse Hitotomori renovated from a 140-year-old Machiya-style townhouse.

A Japanese-style room on the ground floor with a view of the courtyard.They applied structural reinforcement in hidden parts, such as inside the walls.

— We had never heard of starting a guesthouse at the same time as establishing a design studio. What did you have in mind behind this bold decision?

During my career in the company, I have designed architecture that fulfils clients’ requirements, such as profitable buildings, for a long time. While working on such projects, I began to think about what I was creating architecture for. After asking myself these questions, I came to the idea of designing for life and people rather than simply building architecture. Our design office focuses on creating for people and the environment, so we named our office hitotomori after the Japanese words for people (= hito) and forest (= mori).

— Did you have the idea for the cafe and guesthouse business before you set up your studio?

Yes, we did. I started hitotomori when we had almost settled down with raising our children, and my wife and I decided to live our lives in our way as a second life. My wife was studying macrobiotics, so we thought she would run the health-themed cafe and I would be mainly responsible for the residential and spatial design. Besides, we both love to travel, so the guesthouse would be a perfect choice.

The entrance of the guesthouse is in the centre with the noren curtains. The vegan cafe can be seen on the left.

Interior of the vegan cafe named ‘Ginger cafe and foot bath‘

— I see. Why did you choose the Naramachi area as the location?

I have lived in an area in Nara prefecture close to Osaka for the past ten years. When I come to Naramachi for a drink, we often pass by people we know in the town, and I longed for this town, where people live closely with each other. The neighbourhood is also attractive because of the many facilities that use old architecture, and we found just the right old Machiya-style house. Also, the house had a well in the courtyard, and the well water led us to the idea of a vegan cafe with footbaths.

— It is a big challenge for you to be involved in the design as well as the management. When you started the business, did you try to run the guesthouse yourself with your team?

Yes. In the late 2010s, private accommodation became more common, and our close friends were running it, so as we talked to them, we thought we could do it too. In reality, We did not even have a very detailed business plan, but we decided to start and learn from practical experience. Also, we don’t aim to expand the size of our team, so we outsource booking and cleaning while trying to find a balance between the number of employees and the sales we make.

— So, now let’s talk about the design of the Guesthouse Hitotomori. What was the building’s condition like before the renovation?

This house is a traditional machiya-style building that was extended and renovated before we moved in. The guesthouse part was used as a residence and the design studio part as a confectionery workshop. The house had been vacant for a while, and we found many deteriorating parts. Then, everything was examined, and new structural reinforcements were made. While demolishing the walls on the upper floor, we discovered, to our surprise, a hidden tea ceremony room, so we left it as it was.

Bedrooms on the upper floor. The window sill under the shoji screens allows sitting on it. The pendant light on the right hand side is a product by New Light Pottery.

The bedroom has two semi-double beds. The floor around the beds has been raised and boarded up.

Floor plans, before (left) and after (right) the renovation.

— What was the interior design process like?

In designing this guesthouse, our concept was to create a ‘subtle contrast between the older Nara and the newer Nara’. Our first step is to rearrange the horizontal lines. As for the shoji screens in the bedrooms, we wanted to give them long horizontal proportions, so we added a bedboard-like bench at the lower end. In addition, we installed new brass railings and wall-mounted hanger pipes around the staircase. The railing has a simple structure with reduced supporting members and a shape emphasising the horizontal line. We were always conscious of how contemporary Nara creators such as independent lighting manufacturer NEW LIGHT POTTERY, sound designer Listude, landscape architect Planta and our design studio could get involved in this old Nara townhouse while maintaining the existing characteristics.

— Sitting on the windowsill is comfortable, and the simple brass railing design is impressive.

Although the brass railings are modern compared to the 140-year-old building, we did not paint the surface, allowing the patina to develop naturally. I don’t like to over-design, so we call it ‘subtle contrast’, and here we tried to create a design that doesn’t make a strong statement, but creates a gentle contrast.

Brass railings and hanger pipes emphasising horizontal lines. The unpainted brass surface shows a beautiful patina.

A wooden tetrahedral speakers by listude hang in the bedroom.

A courtyard landscaped by Planta.To the left of the courtyard is a Japanese traditional room, while the design studio is located on the right.

— What was the most challenging phase of this refurbishment?

In fact, it was very tough to get a permit for us to run the guesthouse and cafe in the old building. Because the building is connected to its neighbour, fire and evacuation regulations must be met, including for the neighbouring tenant. It wasn’t an easy task, but my years of hard work helped me to solve the problem and bring the project to open for business.

— The inn is exclusively for one group, so it is great for guests to be able to use all the common areas in the building. Plus, there is a courtyard between the inn and the design office, so guests don’t have to worry about the people working there.

The garden was originally there, but for this renovation, we commissioned Planta, and they arranged it into a garden where people could walk around. Some planting was done around the existing camellia and heavenly bamboo, making the garden look like a mountain landscape.

— What kind of reviews did you receive from guests?

It was delightful to receive letters from customers and comments from their children. When we started the accommodation business, we thought it would be better not to communicate directly with our customers because we might have complaints. However, this expectation was wrong, and as architects, we often receive happy feedback. We have recently felt that the customers enjoy the encounters that happen here. So, basically, we don’t greet the guests on arrival, but we try to communicate with them moderately these days. Another significant discovery for us was that guests are not only expecting a beautiful space but also a hospitality spirit. What we learned from running the guesthouse is a great asset, and we reflect it in our current design work.

— That sounds like an ideal scenario. Please tell us about ongoing projects.

We have a small hotel renovation project with just two rooms underway in Minamiichi-cho, Nara. The hotel’s furniture selection and styling were done by a trusted stylist, and they made a fabulous selection of furnishings.

Hotel ‘awai’ underway in Minamiichi-cho, Nara.

In addition, in the Kidera area near our studio, a project called ‘Shiritori Development’ is in progress. This is a renovation project designed for several neighbouring shops, including a gelato shop and a gallery, with the design taking cues from the adjacent architectural elements and gardens.

An aerial view of ‘Shiritori Development’ project being renovated by Hitotomori in Kiidera. They have designed three shops in two buildings on the right and a red-roofed gallery on the left.

Hitotomori has designed the unique spaces, partially referencing architectural elements of the neighbouring buildings.

Gallery on the left and gelato shop on the right.

— Do you have a lot of renovation offers these days?

One newly built house is underway, but all the others are renovations. Regarding commercial development, many people come to my office for advice on how to develop commercial space, because they don’t know where to start. For me, there are three favourite phases in design. Firstly, a situation where I think freely from scratch. Secondly, the time when the design is fully explored and all the issues are solved. Thirdly, the moment when our idea appears on the construction site. I’m this kind of person, so when a client who wants to do a new project visits us and we work together to think about it from zero, I tend to propose something that is not design-related.

— Nagasaka-san’s unique approach, which involves the people around you and offers flexible proposals, seems to fit the mood of today’s society. How do you feel about recent movements in Nara’s design industry?

I’m experiencing a lot of positive change. Until recently, I didn’t think there was much to stimulate the creative mind, but now, various designs are being created here in the Nara region. One of the reasons for the trend is that Nara is home to creative brands attracting attention from the domestic and international design community, such as Manpei Tsurubayashi’s ‘Listude’ and Hiroyuki Nagatomi’s ‘New Light Pottery’. They came to Nara about 10 years ago; before that, companies like Kuruminoki and Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten had been operating in Nara for many years. In my analysis, Nara is currently in the process of gaining recognition, with new and old players intertwined with each other. Nara has a high potential for tourism in terms of history and nature. Two factors have added to this context: joining new designers and cooperating with neighbouring areas such as Higashi-Yoshino and Shimoichi, which have fostered the current creative atmosphere.

— That is interesting. It is changing and evolving at the moment. Lastly, please tell us about what you hope to focus on in the future.

Five or six years have passed since I started my own business, and I’m now in my mid-50s. So, I still do my job as a front person, but I think I’m at the age where I have to take a step back. I will continue to run our design studio, and I also have a desire to raise the level of creativity in Nara and contribute to the local community. I am good at connecting people and playing the role of organiser, so I want to be the hub of the local community and nurture the creative culture. Today, Nara has a uniqueness different from Kyoto, and I feel it is essential to find ways of communicating its cultural excitement in the coming years.

Prior to this interview, we observed a series of renovated shops in Kidera, which they call ‘Shiritori Development’. In a small town where property prices and values are quite different from those of prime city-centre locations, we could see the process of creating a unique small shop by an architect who loves the region. We look forward to a future where the small-scale development that utilises old regional assets becomes a catalyst for attracting people and transforming the town.

CREDIT

Hitotomori Nara
Design: hitotomori
Lighting Design: NEW LIGHT POTTERY
Acoustic Design, Speaker：listude
Landscape Design: planta
Noren Curtain: fabricscape
Construction: Hanekenchikukobo
Furniture, brass-made railing: &S
Shower: Burg Design Banker