Press Release
Kazunori Sakai Receives the Silver A' Design Award for Amami House Residence in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Kazunori Sakai recognized for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category for Amami House Residence by Kazunori Sakai, designed for Sakai Architects. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
More About Amami House Residence
Amami House is a self-sufficient residence on Amami Island, Japan, planned for a family of four. The island has a hot and humid climate with low levels of solar radiation. The house supports comfortable living without dependence on the power grid or air conditioning. Passive strategies such as natural ventilation, daylighting and insulation reduce the need for mechanical systems. The traditional hip-and-gable roof form is reinterpreted with contemporary performance features. A solar water heater, a composting system and a home garden complete a small cycle of self-sufficiency.
Award Record
This recognition makes Kazunori Sakai a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award
The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Typical entries include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. The awarded architectural projects are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/architecture
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/177153
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/177153
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!177153
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/167389
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://sakaiarchitects.com/works
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Amami House Residence
- Function
- Residence
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Light Blue, Light Steel Blue, Lavender, Dark Olive Green and Alice Blue
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Sakai Architects
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Kazunori Sakai
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #177153
Credits
- Team
- KAZUNORI SAKAI（ARCHITECT), MASAYUKI TAKATA (Structural Engineer), TOMOHIRO URATA (Garden Designer), KAZUHIKO HANAI (Lighting Designer), KAZUNORI KAWAGUCHI (Main Contractor), MAKOTO TANAKA (Carpenter), MICHIHIKO MINESHIMA (Electrical Contractor) and YASUNORI SAKAE (Plumbing Contractor）
- Image Credits
- TOSHIHISA ISHII
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Located on Amami Island, an island with a hot and humid climate and among the lowest levels of solar radiation in Japan, this self-sufficient house investigates how a family of four can live comfortably without dependence on the power grid or air conditioning. Rooted in the island’s unique climate and culture, the design reinterprets vernacular architecture through passive strategies, including natural ventilation, daylighting, and insulation, thereby minimizing reliance on mechanical systems. The project presents a sustainable model of living in harmony with nature, nurturing resilience, and quietly redefining what it means to dwell in the modern world.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the vernacular landscapes of Amami, where corrugated metal roofs are commonly seen across local settlements, the design inherits the traditional hip-and-gable roof form and integrates contemporary performance features such as insulation, ventilation, and natural lighting. Through this synthesis, the project reinterprets and reconstructs the roof as a new architectural typology that connects local identity with modern functionality.
- Challenge
- The hardest part was designing a truly self-sufficient house in one of Japan’s most demanding climates—hot, humid, and with limited solar radiation—while removing dependence on the power grid and air conditioning. Balancing comfort and resilience required continuous testing of passive strategies, energy autonomy, and spatial composition, with every decision responding precisely to local climate data. Equally challenging was integrating cultural elements such as the dispersed house form, the openness of yui community ties, and traditional roof expressions into a contemporary language sustaining both environmental and communal life.
- Realization and Technology
- Amami is often called the “Island of Yui,” known for its deeply interwoven social ties. Traditional celebrations for children’s milestones often bring together more than 80 relatives and neighbors, reflecting a collective culture where child-rearing is shared across families and the wider community, and homes have historically functioned as both private and communal spaces. In recent years, however, such practices have diminished due to nuclear families, standardized housing, and the impact of the pandemic.
- Operation and Interaction
- The project gently explores a sustainable way of living in harmony with the natural environment. Embracing the unique climate and culture of the southern islands, it quietly reexamines what it means to dwell in the modern age.
- Project Duration and Location
- Design Period: February 2018 – December 2023 Construction Period: January 2024 – August 2024 Amami island, KAGOSHIMA, JAPAN.
- Specifications
- A vacuum-tube solar water heater installed on the east-facing roof supplies domestic hot water, reaching 60 to 97 degrees Celsius in summer and around 30 degrees in winter. Only minimal backup from a gas heater is needed, reducing gas consumption to less than half of that in the family’s previous rental home. Groundwater use was initially considered, but high iron content led to the adoption of a public water supply for greater reliability. The sauna is heated with wood repurposed from local construction offcuts, creating a circular resource exchange with nearby builders.
- Keywords
- Off-grid housing, Passive design, Self-sufficient living, Vernacular architecture, Japan, Sustainable architecture, Resilient design, Energy autonomy, Community living, Climate-responsive design
