Japan

The Eifukuchō house renovation is part of Roovice’s Kariage initiative. At zero cost for the owner we renovate and then sublease old vacant houses. The project started as a reaction to Japan’s continuing akiya (空き家) problem, as there is more than 10 million abandoned properties in Japan.  Akira Nakamura Akira Nakamura Akira Nakamura This Japanese house, typical for its period, was built around 70 years ago and is located in the quiet residential area called Eifukuchō, just a few stops from Shibuya, in Tokyo. Although being situated in a densely populated neighborhood it features a garden and a parking lot.  Akira Nakamura Akira Nakamura Akira Nakamura Originally the ground floor was the... More

Higashihongō is one of the neighbourhoods in the north side of Yokohama City. The development of the residential area began during the 1960s with a multitude of two-storeys houses. After opening the nearby train line, a rapid increase in population forced the administration to heavily invest on new housing construction using quick and cheap modular lightweight metal structures. Akira Nakamura The result of it is an extended urban texture where every building is almost identical to the next one, and no real landmark stands out from the mass. The lack of exterior creativity induced the landowner to push the quality enhancement of the interior ambience. Akira Nakamura Higashihongō House is part of this development and was originall... More

エンゼル (Angel) was a popular tuna restaurant of Misaki, south end of the Kanagawa Prefecture. It was known and appreciated by the whole community, thanks to its location next to the harbour which provided a daily supply of fresh quality fish and seafood products. It wasn’t a mere spot where to eat: it was the gathering place around which the locals of every generation spent their time and created the foundations for the village to build its identity. Unfortunately though, the restaurant closed several years ago, leaving a void in the town that was seeking for a replacement. Akira Nakamura Akira Nakamura The resulting context was very similar to another renovation project completed by Roovice in the nearby town of Miura; in th... More

Kashiwa Sato designed the first global flagship restaurant outside of Japan launched by major conveyor belt sushi chain Kura Sushi in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Following the design of the flagship stores in Japan, Kura Sushi Taiwan features the latest evolution of a space concept that revives the original Edo Period scene of "food and entertainment" inspired by a scene from Hiroshige Utagawa's "Famous Views of the Eastern Capital, Amusements While Waiting for the Moon on the Twenty-sixth Night at Takanawa" in which merchants casually enjoy sushi at a food stall. Yasuhiro Takagi This is the first architectural project for a flagship store. The building is the largest Kura Sushi restaurant in the world, with a large roof tiled with kawara, a t... More

LuxLinea is an ophthalmology clinic in Shibuya, Tokyo. The new addition to Total Eye Care clinics in the heart of the Japanese capital takes place on the ground floor of a mixed-use building. Clear glass on two sides visually connects the space to its surrounding urban environment. Nacása & Partners Inc. Nacása & Partners Inc. LuxLinea design addresses two main issues: glass reflections, and patients’ privacy. The clinic operates mostly during daytime, when the bright daylight reflects on the glass, obstructing visibility to the inside. To counter this effect, a series of intriguing vertical lines of light are emitted from the inside attracting the curiosity of the passerby. Nacása & Part... More

The Laminaesculapian is the new replacement building for Himeji Daiichi Hospital’s 56 years old construction bloc that did not meet the new earthquake resistance standards. The new design explores the idea of breaking up the monolithic blocks of modern hospitals without losing the functionality aspect crucial to a healthcare facility. KTX archiLAB KTX archiLAB The hospital is located along the national road No2, a major commuting artery in western Japan. The available land area and building regulations resulted in two sides of the volume facing the road laterally. The north façade, the largest side, is designed to look like a thin sheet with playful random-width window openings. A series of surface duplications slide... More

Caption 【Background】 Maruno Ceramic Tiles Co., Ltd. (Maruno INC.) is celebrating its 90th anniversary. This is a plan to rebrand and renovate the headquarters of a company that has been supporting the well-known tile projects of Morioka City buildings. Maruno Corporation has been engaged in tile projects for almost 90 years since its inception, and its headquarters building has a history of 50 years, accumulating long-term technology and history. The renovation design is not a complete makeover but uses the concept of tiles, with history "covering" and "stacking" like tiles, using "layers" as the design concept, and designing both exterior and interior in this style.   【Highlights】 The design emphasizes showcasing the histor... More

This is a project to renovate an old house in Nara City. Various buildings of different ages stand on the site, sharing a corridor and a courtyard. The oldest and largest of them is a barn with a large atrium, built to store long logs. The barn had been little used for many years and had become weathered. The client wanted to renovate it into a comfortable living space. Keishiro Yamada We removed a large amount of mud walls that had detached from the bamboo framework due to continuous leaks, rebuilt the basement, reinforced columns and beams that had been weakened by termite and decay damage, and filled the roof and walls with insulation. Keishiro Yamada The atrium, converted into a large living room, leads to a Japanese-style r... More

This project is a renovation of a traditional Japanese house in Nara, Japan for a young couple and their children. The husband spent his childhood here and later his family lived in Tokyo, but in order to improve their work and lifestyle, they decided to renovate the vacant house and move in. Yohei Sasakura The house was built around 1930 and had been extended and remodeled several times, and there were no drawings or other documents available. When we removed the finishes to investigate, the history of the old renovations was revealed one after another in the floors, walls, and ceilings. Yohei Sasakura The earthen floor had been renovated into a kitchen and dining room, "engawa" - a semi-outdoor deck - had been converted into a... More

Shiseikan is a company dormitory of Sekishō Corporation. Sekishō Corporation is a leading company in Ibaraki that embodies dignity and embraces foreigners, single mothers, and people with disabilities, which makes it an appealing company.  MIKAMI Architects The site is on land with depth that faces the high-traffic National Route 125. On the far side of the L-shaped planar building is the men's dormitory and on the other, the women's. The first floor of the building is mainly a common space including a communication hall, While the second floor is a private space for individual dormitories.  MIKAMI Architects At the communication hall, the pendant lights above the dining table and vivid chairs in the chic space create... More

Toride Second High School opened in 1925 (Taisho 14) as Ibaraki Prefecture Toride High Practical School for Girls. Later, it became coeducational and, in the summer of 1984 (Showa 59), it became known as the school that defeated PL Gakuen, despite possessing players like Kuwata and Kiyohara, to win the championship at Kōshien. It is a relatively small high school with four classes per grade level that consists of general education and home economics courses and in some ways, still holds remnants from its Girls High School days. MIKAMI Architects MIKAMI Architects In order to ensure room for the reorganization of future facilities on the relatively small school grounds and allow all of the students to feel a sense of unity when th... More

Yamatsuri Town is located at the southern end of Nakadori in Fukushima Prefecture, the Tohoku Region of Japan. Also is on the prefectural border of Ibaraki Prefecture. Yamatsuri Elementary School, which integrates five elementary schools into one, is the culmination of child-rearing support measures promoted by the town.  MIKAMI Architects MIKAMI Architects The center of the town is called Higashitate. The Kuji River runs southward on the flatlands in the mountains and the JR Suigun Line, which connects Mito and Koriyama, and Route 118, which connects Mito and Aizu, run in parallel. Traditional houses with entrances on the gable side line the road.  MIKAMI Architects MIKAMI Architects The site is located at t... More

Ryokan-style façade remodeling project located in Australia, in which it was requested to remodel said building applying the styles and traditions of Japan. It was sought to combine the materials of bamboo, wood and stone to generate an atmosphere that reminds us of the traditional Ryokan of Japan that in the same way the gardens serve as spaces for relaxation and meditation for their guests, adding a better experience to their stay. Caption Caption More