1-1 architects reworks surplus timber into a layered house and office in japan

reworking stockpiled timber into structure

House & Office SH by 1-1 Architects is a combined workplace and residence for a construction company in Nagoya, Japan. Found within a dense, low-rise neighborhood, the home and studio draws directly from materials long held in storage, giving physical form to a local condition that is both practical and cultural.

The client had accumulated a large quantity of timber across two nearby warehouses over decades. Much of it came from bulk orders placed by a previous generation, along with salvaged pieces collected during demolition. These sections varied in size, species, and condition, which made them difficult to reuse in conventional construction. Instead of cutting them down into standardized elements, 1-1 Architects approached the stockpile as a set of fixed dimensions to be worked with directly.

image © Takashi Uemura

a structure shaped by what already exists

The team at 1-1 Architects shapes its House & Office SH through this constraint. Floor heights and spatial volumes shift in response to the available lengths of timber, while the structure itself becomes a visible assembly of beams and braces with distinct geometries. Large diagonal members cut across rooms at unexpected angles, introducing a sense of direction and compression that is tied to their original form rather than imposed order.

Each connection required a specific response. Custom metal fittings were fabricated using three-dimensional measurements, allowing irregular pieces to meet with precision. On site, final adjustments were made by hand to accommodate warping and subtle deviations. This process leaves traces in the finished space, where alignment is exact in function yet retains the character of the material’s previous life.

1-1 Architects combines a workplace and residence within a dense low rise neighborhood

opening the ground level to the neighborhood

The project also responds to a changing urban context. The surrounding area once supported small businesses that combined shopfronts or workshops with housing above. Many of these have since closed, leaving ground floors inactive while upper levels remain inhabited. This shift has altered the street, replacing active edges with shuttered facades.

House & Office SH addresses this condition by reconsidering how work and living spaces meet the street. Instead of separating functions vertically or placing them in discrete zones, the building distributes them across levels in a way that allows multiple points of contact with the neighborhood. The ground floor remains visible and engaged, with interior activity legible from outside, especially at night when the structure is illuminated from within.

the team reuses decades of stockpiled timber from the client’s warehouses for the main structure

interior as a continuous field of work and living

Inside, the distinction between office and residence is intentionally blurred. Workspaces, storage, and domestic areas are arranged around a central volume where structure and circulation overlap. Desks are built into thick timber slabs, shelves sit within the framing, and stairs pass through beams that double as spatial markers.

Light enters through tall openings that extend across multiple levels, drawing attention to the depth of the section. The diagonal members interrupt views while also framing them, creating shifting relationships between floors. Movement through the building is defined by these encounters, with each step revealing how the structure supports both occupation and passage.

irregular beams and braces define the building form through their original dimensions

custom metal fittings connect each unique timber element with precise coordination

the ground level remains open and visible to re-engage the surrounding streetscape

work and living functions are distributed across levels rather than strictly separated

project info:

name: House & Office SH

architect: 1-1 Architects | @ichinoichi.inc

location: Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

photography: © Takashi Uemura

design team: Isuki Kamiya + Yui Goto

structural engineer: Komatsu Structural Design

constructor: Hirata Construction Co., Ltd.

The post 1-1 architects reworks surplus timber into a layered house and office in japan appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.