Small TEKITEKI-AN House from 6lines Studio: Sustainable 9m² Retreat in Satoyama, Japan

Located in the village of Satoyama Kamanuma, just two hours from Tokyo, TEKITEKI-AN by 6lines studio is a poetic micro-project reflecting the cyclicity of water and sustainable rural traditions of Japan. The 96 square foot space offers expansive views over the village and distant ocean, combining ecological sensitivity with cultural heritage.

Concept: Water, Nature and Traditions

The name TEKITEKI-AN combines two concepts: TEKITEKI, symbolizing the path of a water drop within the eternal water cycle, and AN, a traditional Japanese term meaning small house or shelter. The architectural concept emerged from observing a summer orange tree on the site—its roots fed by mountain rain and its branches reaching toward the sea. This metaphorical representation defined the design as a space deeply connected to nature's rhythms.

Community and Satoyama Context

Kamanuma is part of the Satoyama landscape, where agricultural lands and mountain forests coexist through continuous communal management. In the context of an aging population and rural depopulation, the village participated in urban-rural collaboration. TEKITEKI-AN arose within this framework as part of broader initiatives by the Small Earth association, promoting sustainable exchange between urban dwellers and Satoyama's environment.

The project was realized through collaborative construction, involving 6lines studio, local craftsmen, village residents and students from the Tsukuba Institute of Technology's Laboratory working together. Over six months they built the structure without contractors, making the process as important to the project as the design itself.

Architecture and Materials

The 3m x 3m plan resembles the Hodzō, an archetypal module of a Japanese tea room. Despite its compact size, TEKITEKI-AN provides diverse uses: a place for tea, remote work, meals or quiet contemplation.

Key design features include:

• Sedum Roof: Access to the green roof is possible from the slope, it grows oranges and offers panoramic views over village and sea.

• Recycled Windows: Openings are formed from removed windows of demolished local homes, arranged as fragments that filter light into poetic patterns.

• Local Materials: Soil, bamboo, branches, straw bags and smoked rice husks (for insulation and humidity regulation) root the building in its immediate environment.

Construction reflects the philosophy of resource sustainability, where materials carry memory of place and enrich architectural history.

Small House, Big Network

Despite its 9m² size, TEKITEKI-AN is part of a larger cultural and ecological network. It serves as an individual retreat from the old Yugitsuka house, offering moments of tranquility while supporting collective management of Satoyama. In its modest scale and poetic ambition, the project demonstrates how mini-architecture can strengthen cultural continuity and environmental care.

TEKITEKI-AN is more than just a small house. It embodies water, community and memory in built form. Blending recycled materials, collaborative work and traditional forms, 6lines studio created a shelter that is both small in size and great in significance.

Photos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo OyamaPhotos © Ryo Oyama