Raising a family in a dense urban context, such as Taipei City, can be challenging. When a Taiwanese couple with three young children were looking for a new home, they sought a space in the city with enough room for their children to play.

“All they could find were developer-led, marble-clad, overpriced living conditions that were not suitable for family needs,” says architect Johnny Chu, founder of Taipei- and Philadelphia-based JC Architecture. “Then, they found these old, run-down Japanese dormitories. We thought it would be incredibly interesting to turn one of the old houses into a modern family home.”

The dormitories were built over 90 years ago to house government and National Taiwan University staff from 1895 to 1945 when Taiwan was occupied by Japan. Today, these buildings are owned by the government and managed by the university—and, they are unable to be sold. As a result, many have been rented and transformed into commercial spaces, such as galleries and coffee shops.

“Even though the owners could only rent the home, they still decided to spend the money renovating it to give them a new kind of lifestyle, and a place where their kids can grow up,” says Chu. “We wanted to give new life to the house, but also to the history and culture of its story.”

Before the renovation, the site had been abandoned for almost a decade. The wood-framed frame windows were dilapidated, some of the floors were gone, none of the toilets worked, and even the sewage system had failed. “It was in very bad shape, and everything needed to be totally redone,” says Chu. “Luckily, the roof was still intact, so there weren’t many water leaks and it was a doable project.”

Before: Entrance

After: Entrance

The building is a tapestry of different eras, and this renovation by JC Architecture is just the most recent layer to be added to its fabric. Since its construction 90 years ago, the residence has undergone several other additions, including a large extension in the 1950s—which houses the kitchen/dining space and living room—and a bathroom renovation at a later date.

The entrance hallway juxtaposes a newly constructed white terrazzo wall, which extends to the exterior, with the original timber roof structure. This playful contrast between old and new immediately sets the tone for the entire project. Other original elements, such as the timber structure and walls, have also been restored.

Before: Hallway

After: Hallway

To the right of the entrance is the public quarter, where the old kitchen was located. This space has been transformed into a main living room, which links to an open-plan dining area and kitchen that, in turn, connects to the garden courtyard through an operable glazed wall.

After: Living Room

The defining motive behind the renovation is the relationship between old and new. “We didn’t want to come in and rip out the original elements,” says Chu. “This building is about what has been conserved, and what has been added to allow modern life in this historical context.”

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Left of the entrance is a multipurpose family room that connects to the bedrooms and is inspired by the original Japanese construction. “This is a flexible space,” says Chu. “The children might want to use it as a secret hideout now, and when they grow up they might use it for piano practice, or the family could use it as a communal space to watch a film.”

Shop the Look

Before: Family Room

After: Family Room

After: Bedroom

One of the biggest challenges throughout the renovation was discovering the site and the fabric of the building. “We never know what we will learn from a site at the beginning of a project like this,” says Chu. “It’s challenging but also a very rewarding process as you’re letting the house teach you.”

A key example of this is an unused bathtub in the guest bathroom that has been playfully planted—a decision that was made only after a section of roof was removed and natural light flooded the space.

Before: Bathrooms

This bathroom, located next to the master bedroom, was added at a later stage by previous tenants. Like the guest bathroom, it was in poor condition and needed to be completely remodeled." layout="" credit="JC Architecture" photoUserId=""/>

After: Bathroom

It was important to both the clients and Chu to create a lush retreat from the busy city—a place where the children could play and learn about sustainability. As a result, the courtyard and the interior spaces are overflowing with greenery. “We wanted to teach the children about farm-to-table eating in an urban context,” says Chu. “The children can pick basil from the garden to cook with eggs for their breakfast, and the parents use mint to make mint tea. It’s a way for city kids to understand this concept.”

Before: Courtyard

After: Exterior

After: Rooftop

By keeping and restoring much of the existing building and working largely with recycled materials, JC Architecture completed the renovation in just six months on a tight budget. “Using recycled materials not only helped us create a story between old and new, but also helped us lower the cost of the whole project to a level that was acceptable for the family,” says Chu.

The project was recently awarded World Interior of the Year at the INSIDE Festival of Interiors 2019—an experience that Chu describes as “incredible.” The judges were not only impressed by the balance of traditional craftsmanship with contemporary elements, but also the flexibility of the spaces and they way they have been crafted to fit around the needs of family life.

They also drew attention to the potential for the JCA Living Lab to be used as a model for adapting similarly neglected buildings in Taipei. “Against the background of rapid development in Taipei, this project has the potential to be a ‘prototype’ that may help reevaluate the existing stock of Japanese houses.”

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: JC Architecture

Interior Design: JC Architecture

Photography: Kuo-Min Lee Photography Studio