Works#Architecture

This project is one of the projects to help the residents of the areas that will be submerged due to the construction of the Yamba Dam to rebuild their lives and find meaning in life. For about six years, we were in charge of the basic plan, schematic design, working drawings, interior administration, and consulting work to support local management companies for the "regional development facilities" in the "Kawarayu District" and "Yokobe District" of the relevant areas. For the Yokobe Regional Development Facility, we not only planned the construction, but also supported the launch of the management body established in the district, and planned and produced the facility, including the attraction of companies to enter the market, consulting on restaurants run by residents, menu development, and management supervision of opening equipment. The facility concept design was based on the concept of "inheriting and developing the town's memories," and reproduced the former Naganohara Town Hall*, which had fulfilled its role after about 90 years of construction and was scheduled for demolition, as a symbol of the district. We designed the facility to create an opportunity for the children who will be the future leaders of the district and the tourists who visit, to see the town's history, and to help the new businesses that will be run here lead to the regeneration, reconstruction, and development of the district. *The old government building, built in 1929 (Showa 4), was a two-story wooden building with a hipped roof and a Japanese-Western style exterior with a porch and a gabled roof on top. It was also said to be the only wooden government building in Gunma Prefecture. [Social Issues/Customer Issues/Requests] [Business] With the construction of the Yamba Dam, it was requested to establish a new business that had never been done before in this area, as a facility for the residents of the area to be submerged and rebuild their lives and find meaning in life. In addition, it was requested that the facility be differentiated from facilities planned in other areas and similar facilities, and that it have the ability to attract customers and be unique. [concept design] It was requested that the old government building, which is filled with people's memories, be utilized in some way, that it be visible from the busy national highway from the perspective of attracting customers, and that it be planned to attract passersby. It was also requested that the plan take advantage of the view that allows the Yamba Dam to be seen in the distance and the lake to be seen in the distance. [Solution] [Business] In order to realize the request, we focused on the following three points: first, to make suggestions to make the business ideas of the local residents possible; second, to differentiate the local regional development facilities between "Yokobe District" and "Kawarayu District"; and third, to strongly support the launch of a local parent company. In this project, we aimed to "open a restaurant," which none of the local people had experience in, and promoted it in a way that was close to the characteristics of the area and the characteristics of the business. In particular, we had many conversations about "looking for the Yokobe District's uniqueness" and "utilizing local recipes," and developed menus together, and promoted a plan that was closely tied to the area. For the prototype and tasting session, we invited professional chefs to support the local people in raising their awareness, revitalizing the area by improving their cooking skills, and strengthening their self-sufficiency. [concept design] When converting the function of the town hall to Lake Station, we surveyed the existing building and decided to recreate it in a modern update while taking into consideration the nostalgia of the former town hall building. The retro and distinctive design of the old government building has been reproduced to create a visual appeal. In addition, by creating an open opening facing Yamba Dam, the location has one of the best views of any facility around the dam lake. Furthermore, in order to maintain the style of the old government building while conforming to current regulations, careful consideration was given to the structural design. <Our project members> [Sales/Project Management] Arai Satoshi, Yamamoto Hitomi [Planning/Consulting] Sakazume Kenichi, Shimokuni Yuki [design, layout] NAU: Kirioka Sakae, Osano Nana

Shou-kan was built in 1892 in Nishikatamachi, Hongo-ku, Tokyo, as part of the residence of Count Abe, the former feudal lord of the former Fukuyama domain. In 1971, Tokio Kasuga, founder of Green Stamp Co., Ltd., relocated and restored it to Karuizawa, where it has been used as a memorial hall for the Green Stamp Karuizawa dormitory. In 2020, Shou-kan was renovated at the same time as the new annex as a retreat facility for both Green Stamp Co., Ltd. and Kenedix, Inc. We were responsible for the design and interior administration of the Shou-kan renovation, including seismic retrofitting, as well as the installation of FF&E for the entire facility. [Social Issues / Customer Issues / Requests] Various extensions and renovations have been made since the original relocation, and the only connection to the annex was via a corridor, which caused structural stress and led to subsidence. The entire facility was aging, and the Shoyukan was difficult to use in winter due to Karuizawa's climate, and although it was originally designed with tatami mats, its use had decreased due to changes in Japanese lifestyles. However, they wanted to renovate it while preserving as much of its original appearance as possible. [Solution] After investigating the Shoyukan, they restored it to its original simple form as much as possible, performed a seismic diagnosis, and reinforced the structure to withstand earthquake forces equivalent to those stipulated in the Building Standards Act. The building faces the annex across the courtyard, giving it a sense of unity as a whole facility. While respecting the original design as much as possible, they aimed to extend the period of use, including in winter, except for the coldest months, by installing insulation and air conditioning equipment in the parts that cannot be seen. They installed floor heating and replaced it with flooring, and the walls added for seismic resistance expressed the original walls, fixtures, and image of the time, while the upper half of the space retained as much of the original design as possible. <Our project members> [Sales] Kayumi Tatsumi [Survey, design, layout and interior administration] NAU1: Norio Koito [Production and construction] Mikiya Fujitaka