Edinburgh Doors Open day: A chance to explore unique 'japanese house'

• Drylaw Police Station is taking part in Doors Open Day

When it comes to our personal spaces, the majority of us are usually protective of our privacy.

But Portobello duo Kieran Gaffney and his wife Makiko Konishi cannot wait to throw open their home on Sunday, giving residents the length and breadth of the Capital a chance to explore one of the most exciting properties in the seaside neighbourhood as part of Edinburgh Doors Open Day 2010.

The couple completed "The Japanese House" last year, a bespoke family home designed and built by the creative duo and inspired by the time they spent together in Makiko's native Japan some years earlier.

Clad in Scottish oak with striking polished concrete floors, perfect for their three young children to ride their bikes on as well as play the occasional game of basketball, it is an unusual yet compelling property.

• Would you offer for your home to be part of Doors Open Day?

Now they will share it with strangers, having decided earlier this year to offer it to the Cockburn Association to include as part of the annual Edinburgh Doors Open Day, in which more than 70 attractions, usually closed to the public, will be open for the weekend.

"It's not that we are desperate to show it off," explains Kieran, 40, an architect. "But I suppose we did put a lot of hard work into it, and it's something we are proud of."

The Japanese House was the winner of the 2010 Edinburgh Architectural Association small projects award, commended for its use of light and space, as well as being environmentally friendly.

Kieran, originally from Livingston, and his brother Neil built the house on a plot of land he and Makiko, 40, a designer, bought on Bellfield Lane in 2006.

Despite having no previous practical building experience, the family took just nine months to complete the two-bedroom house.

"I had no real experience of actual building," laughs Kieran.

"I have always been very hands-on as an architect, but this was very different.

"It was also very different designing our own home and probably took four or five times longer than if we were doing it for a client."

The centre piece of the property is a burnt 100-year-old oak tree, taking pride of place in the main living area as well as serving a structural purpose.

"It had fallen about 80 years ago in Fife," says Kieran.

"It was just rotting away. So, we burned it in the back garden using blow torches and brought it in to the home. Our children's heights have been etched into it too."

Kieran and Makiko run their own architectural firm, Konishi Gaffney architects, on Dalmeny Street and hope that by opening up their home they can demonstrate to potential clients that having a bespoke property designed and built does not have to be as costly as many may think.

"This entire project cost us 150,000," says Kieran.

"People often say to us, ‘When I win the lottery I will give you a call...', but you don't have to have a lot of money to build your own home. We probably would have got a two-bed flat in Portobello for the money we spent on this."

Along with the Japanese House, a further 15 venues will open this weekend for the first time as part of Doors Open Day, with 77 in total open at various times on either Saturday or Sunday, or on both days.

They include the Caves on Niddry Street South, the vaulted sub-structures of the South Bridge which were rediscovered and excavated in the mid 1990s.

The breath-taking venue, which includes the Rowantree and Upper Vaults, is used for private functions, weddings and concerts. It will open to the public on Sunday, between 12pm and 3pm.

Meanwhile transport enthusiasts can enjoy a tour of Lothian Buses' depot on Annandale Street, on Saturday, from 12pm to 4pm, where they will get the chance to sit behind the wheel of the first public bus bought in 1957 to replace the Edinburgh trams, measuring a staggering 4.4m and weighing an impressive 12 tonnes.

Visitors will also get a rare chance to climb on board vehicles as they make their way through the depot's gigantic bus wash, where the 650-strong fleet are given a regular scrubbing to keep them sparkling.

For those keen to tread the boards, the Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, is offering backstage tours every 30 minutes on Saturday from 10am to 12:30pm, allowing visitors a chance to explore the set of the current Romeo and Juliet production.

Other venues opening their doors include Drylaw Police Station, Wauchope Mausoleum, Edinburgh Sheriff Court and the Queen's Hall.

But hopes of peeking behind the scenes at the Royal Bank of Scotland's 44-hectare Gogarburn headquarters have been dashed after security fears led to the bank pulling out of the event.

"Whilst it is unfortunate this local community event has been disrupted, clearly the first priority for RBS has to be the safety of employees and members of the public," explains Maggie Spalding, the Doors Open Day co-ordinator.

With just a day to go until the event final preparations, frantic tidying and last minute touches will be under way in the participating venues across the city.

"I cannot even think about what will happen on the day," laughs Kieran Gaffney.

"All I can think of is how much tidying up we still have to do!"

The Japanese House, 11A Bellfield Lane, Portobello, will be open on Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

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