We renovated a 31-year-old steel-framed house built by a major housing construction company. The interior was removed, revealing the components and dimensions of the building’s structure. In attempting to lower the cost, the company took advantage of its technological capability to minimize the structural elements based on the structural calculations. Changing even one of the elements would have made the building lose its structural balance and reduced its seismic performance. Therefore, we visualized a created space that did not change any part of the existing structure. The result is the ceiling that features a grid pattern while retaining the horizontal reinforced braces. The natural feelings of inserted cedar colonnades and the ceiling covered in Japanese paper make a striking contrast with the reinforced braces that are industrial products, adding diversity to the space. The ceiling lights installed in each grid shine at night, bringing about change in the space.
　The bookcases in the living room are movable so that the homeowner who enjoys taking pictures can keep a sufficient distance to the subject when needed. The construction costs were kept down by only changing the interior finish of the bedroom, children’s room, etc., without changing the water supply and drainage system layout (i.e., toilet, bathroom, and washbasin).
　The renovation provides an opportunity to create an unexpected space, and finding it is one of the pleasures that you do not get from new houses.