This project is for a government building complex in the tree-loving town of Tsubetsu, located inland of the Okhotsk area. The building was planned as a central facility to revitalize the central area of the town. The design required the use of timber befitting of the tree-centered town, consideration for locally produced wood, and promotion of local industries.

We opted for a nested mixed structure, in which the main office function uses an open wooden space while its surrounding area is enclosed by robust reinforced concrete. Inside, we balanced the use of bare wood and concrete, with the aim of creating a playfully light wooden space amid a dignified atmosphere.

Locally produced timber was used throughout for the structural materials, interior and exterior claddings, furniture and fixtures, handrails, signs, and staff desks. We explored the possibility of new building materials. Using local processing technology, structural plywood made from coniferous trees and produced at local factories were utilized as much as possible for finishings as well as furniture. The exterior cladding utilizes a simple construction, in which scantlings made from local Japanese larch and Sakhalin fir trees are held and nailed to plywood, for easy replacement by local craftsmen.

We hope that the craftsmanship knowledge that has been built up within the local community will also be applied to town development and ultimately lead to the creation of a unique Tsubetsu landscape.