The revival of an old Zushi valley dwelling by Koji Mori of we inc., with east and west frames opening to sky and deciduous canopy instead of the mountain-shadowed south

By The Sea Hut is the revival of an old dwelling in a valley in Zushi, Kanagawa, by Koji Mori of we inc. Architect Studio. The building sits within a landscape of surrounding mountains and deciduous trees, and the orientation of the renovation responds directly to those conditions. Conventional practice would site windows toward the south to maximize sunlight, but the mountains create shadow on that side throughout much of the day. Instead, Mori opened wide frames on the east and west axes, capturing sky and the tree canopy on both sides.

The east frame receives morning light; the west frame catches afternoon and evening. The deciduous canopy seen through both frames shifts through the year: dense green in summer, bare tracery in winter. The quality and direction of light in the interior changes accordingly, so the house registers seasonal change through the way daylight enters it at different times and in different conditions. A wood stove provides heat during autumn and winter when the early dusk makes the firelight central to the space.

The renovation preserved the essential character of the original structure while opening it to the light conditions of the valley. Mori trained as a carpenter across conventional, 2x4, and miyaiku (shrine carpentry) methods before establishing his practice, and the construction at By The Sea Hut reflects that material grounding: the work is precise and attentive to how the structure holds together and how it meets the landscape around it.