Tatemae Day 2 - Japanese Joinery Timber Frame Construction - House No. 2 - Part 2 in Machida, Japan

In this series, we are in Machida, Japan where we are participating in a new Japanese house build. The house design is based on a very traditional Japanese building style. The architect, chose a more classic design with his client and utilized a lot of natural land features to help increase the comfortability of the house itself. The positioning of the house along side a hill provides cool air during the summer months and a protection from too much loss of heat during the winter months. It is difficult to juggle the somewhat extreme climate fluctuations in Japan. The hot and humid summer months and cold and dry winter months are equally as long and difficult to comfortably adjust to.

House Information:

Land Area: ~436.18 sq. meters (~132 tsubo) (~4695 sq. feet)
Building Area: ~105.29 sq. meters (~32 tsubo) (~1133 sq. feet)
Total Living Area: ~134.66 sq. meters (~41 tsubo) (~1450 sq. feet)
1st Floor Area: ~92.54 sq. meters (~28 tsubo) (~996 sq. feet)
2nd Floor Area: ~42.12 sq. meters (~12.74 tsubo) (~453 sq. feet)

The house has a two stories with the common living area situated on the first floor. The 1st floor has a large 12.5 tatami great room and a dining, kitchen, and tea area are adjacent to the large great room. Also downstairs is a full bathroom with the toilet room separated. There is an outdoor terrace space that faces the hillside which will provide cool and shade during the summer months. The second floor is available space for rooms or storage. This house is designed for communal family living where all members of the family will reside in the same room.

In Part 2 of the House No. 2 build, we are continuing the raising of the timber frame from the second floor to the roof. The joinery starts to get more difficult as there are several pieces that need to slide perfectly together in order to set a wooden pin.