Australia House Competition Japan

Ideas for our design competition entry were developed during a brief but wonderful immersion in the Satoyama region in July.

The significance of the region of Echigo-tsumari and the special landscape quality of the Satoyama, is all about the rice and the mountains, from lush green in summer to deep snow in winter - extremes.

We thought about:

Honor the seasonal lifecycle of the rice tradition and spirit of rural place,

Vivid green rice terrace defines the public ground plane in summer for making and experiencing art in a double height space,

Private spaces occupy the upper level vermillion box accessible in the depth of winter snow, warmed by rice husk fuel,

Celebrates renewable wood and the regional agricultural vernacular handcrafted by local people,

Sculptural undulating forms map vistas around the broader mountain valley landscape,

Red earth of Australia’s centre and Japan’s rising sun sits at once dramatically and subtly in both the white of winter and the lush green landscape of summer,

Seismic screens in praise of shadows filter views and climate.

Thank you to our Japanese collaborators;

Hiroyuki Yoshikawa from Tripod Studio cdi, Tokyo

Shigeru Hikone, Arup Tokyo