YNAS opens up Japanese home with timber-framed canopies

In Miyakonojo, Japan, the local architecture firm YNAS has transformed a conventional timber residence from 1978 by extending it and incorporating corrugated-metal canopies to enhance the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. The original single-storey home featured a cramped design and underused outdoor areas. To address this, YNAS removed partition walls and hedges, expanded the engawa (verandahs) with steel and timber canopies, and introduced an outdoor kitchen with stunning mountain views. The dark L-shaped corridor was eliminated, resulting in an open living-dining-kitchen area, with original timber columns and diverse flooring defining different zones. Traditional elements like a kamado (wood-fired stove), irori (sunken hearth), and a steel wood-fired bath were retained, while firewood is stored in a low gabion wall of local rubble. A northwest storage section is finished with corrugated polycarbonate, and the home now features solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system for self-sustainability. YNAS founder Yuko Numata remarked that the design intriguingly lacks physical barriers, offering neighbors a glimpse into family life.