Argento Ospitalità · 2026
Oott Funzione primaria: Hotel
by Toru Teraoka
- A' Design Award d'Argento 2026 in Ospitalità
- CLIENT: OOTT | Toru Teraoka
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 24,566
- Verification code AA31C16378 · Verify this award
Colors
About Oott Funzione primaria: Hotel
Testo del libro: Immersa nelle foreste di Karuizawa, questa sala è concepita come un luogo in cui architettura, natura e comunità si incontrano. Sviluppata nell'arco di quasi un decennio attraverso la collaborazione tra committente, costruttore e architetto, si inserisce in un paesaggio in evoluzione dotato di strutture pensate per accogliere i cani. L'edificio funge da lounge comune e spazio interno per l'addestramento. Quando le grandi aperture vengono spalancate, gli interni si allineano con la foresta, permettendo al paesaggio di fluire attraverso di essi. Un tetto stratificato porta una luce naturale soffusa, creando un'atmosfera tranquilla. La semplice costruzione in legno dimostra come mezzi modesti possano integrarsi con la natura.
About the A' Design Award d'Argento
Oott Funzione primaria: Hotel ha vinto l'A' Design Award d'Argento, un riconoscimento enormemente prestigioso conferito a design di fascia alta, splendidi e impressionanti. I vincitori d'Argento sono opere tremendamente brillanti ed estremamente creative che illustrano l'eccezionale competenza, il talento e l'acume dei loro designer. Ci si aspetta che Oott Funzione primaria: Hotel sia un'opera meravigliosa, una vetrina di eccellenza, notevolmente professionale e profondamente innovativa. Questo design vincitore dell'A' Design Award d'Argento è un'invenzione molto notevole e ammirata che giova ai confini dell'arte, della scienza, del design e della tecnologia e li fa avanzare. Oott Funzione primaria: Hotel è una creazione molto invidiata che evoca desideri, porta sentimenti positivi e accende meraviglia e stupore.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- A hall nestled in the forest of Karuizawa, a renowned summer retreat. For ten years, the client, builder, and architect have continued developing the facility together, overcoming the pandemic and social change to create a contemporary Japanese architecture with enduring universality. Tents for guests with dogs, a dog school, and a grassy run are dispersed across the site, expanded step by step. Conceived for hospitality and sustainable community, the hall extends seamlessly into nature.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Floor Area:129m²
- Tags
- Japan, Karuizawa, Japanese design, timber architecture, wooden structure, hotel, architecture, nature
- Production Technology
- All square timbers are unified to the standard Japanese size of 120×120 mm, while selected beams use 60×120 mm members hand-split by local carpenters, balancing structural logic with spatial richness. Though based on structural analysis, the joinery conceals its complexity. Developed amid rising material costs during the pandemic, the design balances quality and budget, minimizes concrete, and uses local carpentry with minimal metal fittings to reduce environmental impact.
- Design Challenge
- For a decade, the same client, builder, and architect worked together, building trust and creating a structure that embodies coexistence with nature. Amid rising material and labor costs during the pandemic, balancing design and budget was crucial. The plan secures needed area and generous volume while controlling cost. Timber was hand-crafted and assembled manually, concrete minimized, and local carpentry with few metal fittings reduced environmental impact.
- Research
- The design shows deep respect for material essence. Timber and minimal concrete are left exposed, creating refined architectural honesty. Visitors enter a bright space clad in hinoki cypress, continuous with grass and trees, honoring Japanese beauty. External insulation ensures comfort in harsh winters, while the exposed wooden frame expresses both structure and performance. Rooted in its locale, it embodies a Japanese aesthetic connected to the world.
- Inspiration
- The project shows deep respect for the delicate workings of nature, fostering empathy in its visitors. By placing nature at the center, it seeks harmony between people and environment. Built in timber, the space connects seamlessly with the surrounding landscape and remains committed to sustainability. Developed amid rising material costs during the pandemic, it balances design quality and budget through the use of standard materials and conventional methods, embodying coexistence with nature.
- Project Duration
- Completed in 2023, the project has received numerous awards both in Japan and internationally.
- Operation Flow
- The building serves as a lounge for guests and a dog training space on rainy days. When both sides are opened, the forest extends through the hall, and soft light enters from high windows between the three roofs, creating a transparent space rooted in Japanese sensibility. It connects visitors with local nature. Located among private villas, it also functions as a café and open community hub, fostering ties between travelers and residents.
- Patents
- OOTT, Toru Teraoka, 2023
- Image Credits
- All photo : Photographer / Tatsuya Tabii
