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House of Local Spirits

Atelier Salad

SAVE SUBMISSION
Gold
The façade of “House of local spirits” glowing in the evening light - Kenta Hasegawa
The original earthen plaster walls, crafted 90 years ago, have been carefully preserved - Kenta Hasegawa
An earthen-floored entrance (doma) seamlessly connecting interior and exterior spaces - Kenta Hasegawa
The façade of “House of local spirits” glowing in the evening light - Kenta Hasegawa

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Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
House
8.45
8.55
8.55
8.55
8.53
Peter Greenberg
Peter Greenberg Partner at Ester Bruzkus Architekten
It is perhaps not a new idea to put...
9
9
9.5
8.5
9
Paolo Torri
Paolo Torri Exhibition Design Manager at Pedrali
9
9
9
9.5
9.13
Ethan Yao
Ethan Yao China Resources Land at Deputy General Manager and Chief Architect of Design Management
8.5
7.5
8
8
8
Clemence Pirajean
Clemence Pirajean Cofounder at Pirajean Lees
8.5
9
9
8.5
8.75
Ray Chou
Ray Chou Founder and Creative Director at Vermilion Zhou Design Group
9
9
9
9
9
Vandana Dhawan Saxena
Vandana Dhawan Saxena Founder and Design Principal at Studio IV Designs
8.5
8.5
8.5
9
8.63
Ali Mohammadioun
Ali Mohammadioun Founder at E plus A Atelier
8.5
9
8.5
9
8.75
Paul Birkhead
Paul Birkhead Cofounder and Creative Director at Syn Retail
7.5
8
8
7.5
7.75
Ina Nikolova
Ina Nikolova Partner & Senior Project Manager at Kinzo Architekten
8.5
9
8.5
8.5
8.63
Alexandra Cantacuzene
Alexandra Cantacuzene Director of Interior Design at Al Futtaim Real Estate Group
7.5
7.5
7.5
8
7.63
Client
Private
Floor area
88 ㎡
Completion
2025
Social Media
Instagram
Lighting

A 90-Year-Old Japanese Home Reimagined in Silver

This project transforms a vacant 90-year-old wooden house in a depopulating fishing village in southern Japan into a contemporary residence and a semi-public gathering space. Designed for a chef who relocated from the city, it responds to a desire to “live, work, and connect” with the local community—offering a new model for life rooted in place yet open to interaction.

Innovation : Rather than restoring the traditional house in a conventional manner, the project introduces a bold architectural gesture: wrapping the entire structure in silver galvanized steel. This approach symbolizes coexistence between preservation and transformation. Referencing metallic fish crates at the local port and the silvery sheen of sardines, the material reinterprets the fishing village’s cultural identity through contemporary architecture, turning the house into a spatial narrative device.

Functionality : The house merges private living quarters with a flexible semi-public space. The former doma—an earthen-floored kitchen and entryway—was reimagined as a continuous tile and mortar floor where cooking, hosting, and informal interaction can take place. Level transitions are minimized, and visual openness is prioritized, creating a welcoming and accessible environment for users of all ages.

Creativity : Instead of altering the structure or floor plan dramatically, the design layers new meaning through materials and spatial reinterpretation. The exposed wooden frame is preserved, while a new metal skin overlays it—creating a visible dialogue between old and new. As a result, the house becomes both a familiar part of the local landscape and an unexpected sculptural presence that provokes curiosity and reflection.

Eco-Social Impact : By reusing the existing structure instead of demolishing and rebuilding, the project significantly reduces construction waste and embodied carbon. At the same time, it reactivates a once-abandoned home as a place for social exchange—helping to reweave connections in a community facing depopulation. The space is inclusive, multigenerational, and open to spontaneous gathering.

Renewable Resources : The original timber structure is largely retained, with reinforcement kept to a minimum. Locally sourced materials and reused tiles were employed where possible, and passive environmental strategies—such as natural ventilation and solar shading—were integrated to minimize operational energy. While a full LCA was not conducted, the reuse-first approach ensures a markedly lower carbon footprint than new construction.

Rather than standing as a relic of the past, this architecture lives in the present while holding space for the future. It embodies a new role for rural architecture—one that participates in the evolving narrative of place through sensitivity, reinvention, and poetic restraint.