![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3151-450-450.jpg)
Wooden Forest Apartment by Ikeda Yukie Architects
Japanese architects Ikeda Yukie have completed Wooden Forest Apartment, a renovation of an old two-storey wooden house in Nakano, Tokyo.
![_9ei3253b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3253b.jpg)
The architects have retained and exposed the building's original wooden columns but wrapped everything else in white, leaving a forest of columns piercing each floor.
![_9ei3169b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3169b.jpg)
Photos are © Koichi Torimura.
![_9ei3028b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3028b.jpg)
Here's some text from the architects:
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Wooden Forest Apartment
Renovation of an old wooden house
![_9ei3298b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3298b.jpg)
Originally, the second floor was an old style Japanese dormitory with several walls dividing the floor into tiny rooms.
![_9ei3124b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3124b.jpg)
Since then, numerous renovations and extensions were carried out. Immediately prior to our joining the project, the second floor was used as a part of family house - a bit chaotic and still with a scattering of columns, remnants of the old walls.
![_9ei3151b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3151b.jpg)
In order to comply with Japanese law, any changes to the structure of a wooden house situated in a fire protection area would require approval and take considerable time.
![_9ei3260b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3260b.jpg)
The client was interested in a quicker turn-around and therefore we could not remove the all-too-many forest-like columns.
![_9ei3142b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3142b.jpg)
The remaining structures other than columns weren’t suitable to be seen. We started by wrapping them which allowed for the forest-like columns to stand out beautifully.
![_9ei3333b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3333b.jpg)
To counteract the ‘busy-ness’ created the columns, we placed between them movable boxes which function both as storage and partition.
![_9ei3079b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3079b.jpg)
In order to minimize the other elements, we utilized white wrapping. This ultimately resulted in forest-like columns as colours seemingly floating in space.
![_9ei3036b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3036b.jpg)
Project data
Architect/Ikeda Yukie Architects Ikeda Yukie, Ohno Toshiharu
http://www.snowpict.com/
site/Nakano Tokyo Japan
principal use/House, Apartment
*photos are only of 2F
1st floor : owner’s bed rooms
2nd floor : 3 rooms for rent
structure/2nd floor wooden house
total area/118.5m2
completion/2009 Mar.
![sec.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/sec.jpg)
![plan2f.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/plan2f.jpg)
![_9ei3279b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3279b.jpg)
![_9ei3351b.jpg](http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/03/_9ei3351b.jpg)