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DesignNewswire · COMO, Italy ·

Black Monolithic Wall Residential House by Nobuaki Miyashita Is Granted the Silver A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design

Nobuaki Miyashita of Mr Studio acknowledged for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 19, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Black Monolithic Wall Residential House by Nobuaki Miyashita of Mr Studio, designed for MR Studio Co., Ltd., has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category. The award was conferred within the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored 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.

Regarding Black Monolithic Wall Residential House

This sculptural black residence was planned in a quiet residential area of Tokyo. The site is narrow at the entrance and elongates towards the back, forming a slender shape. While complying with Japanese architectural regulations, such as shadow regulation on neighboring lands and building height restrictions, the design aims to create dynamic spaces that capitalize on this slender site shape. The approach features a monolithic black wall integrated with the architecture, making the exterior appearance striking, while the cantilevered stairs leading to the entrance enrich the sequence.

About Mr Studio

An architectural firm based in Japan that designs various types of buildings, including residential homes, commercial facilities, hotels, offices, factories, and schools.

Award Record

This recognition makes Nobuaki Miyashita of Mr Studio a winner of 3 A' Design Awards. All of the awards belong to the 2023 - 2024 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.

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. The competition 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. Entries typically include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. Awarded architectural projects are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/architecture

About A' Design Award & Competition

A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission 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. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated 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. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates 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, the upload of a work and the 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. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

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
Black Monolithic Wall Residential House
Function
Residential House
Category
Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Discipline
Spatial Design
Industry
Architecture
Colors
Cornflower Blue, Black, Dark Slate Gray, Sky Blue and Gray
Images
5
Client
MR Studio Co., Ltd.

The Recognition

Laureate
Nobuaki Miyashita
Country
Japan
Brand
Mr Studio
Recognition
Silver A' Design Award
Edition
2023 - 2024
Design ID
#160459

Credits

Image Credits
#5: Photographer Nobuaki Miyashita, Variations, 2021

Design Details

Unique Properties
This is a custom house plan for a parent and their child. Although the site is located relatively close to central Tokyo, its neighbor is a quiet residential area. It is an extremely narrow flag lot with no more than two meters wide portion fronting the road. Our aim was to create a dynamic space which can only be formed on a site with unique characteristics like this as well as to meet the strict building regulations in Japan.
Inspiration
First, to leverage the long, flagpole-shaped layout of the site, we envisioned the approach space as a sculptural design integrated with the architecture. Along the site boundary, we inserted a single boundary wall and designed it to incorporate elements such as stairs, a meter box, a mailbox, and lighting. This boundary wall will lead visitors to the second-floor entrance, providing a rich spatial experience along the way.
Research
Research Objective: To maximize living space while clearing the strict height restrictions (sunlight regulation) on the north side of the site, the first floor is partially buried underground. Method: The underground portion is constructed with a concrete framework and undergoes special waterproofing treatment. Results: It was possible to ensure sufficient ceiling height on each floor. The dining room has a height of 3600 mm, and the bedrooms also maintain a height of 2900 mm.
Challenge
In the typical design, disadvantaged by a narrow and elongated approach space, we were able to create a rich experience that entices visitors deeper into the property through a three-dimensional composition centered around an architectural boundary wall, 3 meters in height, integrated with the main residential volume in a sculptural form. This approach has successfully materialized an engaging journey for visitors.
Realization and Technology
The residential space is consisted of three layers. In order to provide a maximum volume of interior space while meeting the building height regulation, half of the first floor height is buried below ground level. The second floor is planned to be used as guest rooms, part of the public space. The void in the center runs through the second floor to the dining area on the third floor.
Operation and Interaction
The first floor is a semi-basement, comprising a private space that includes the master bedroom, studio, and bathroom. In the bathroom, there is a jetted bathtub facing the tsubo-niwa, a small Japanese-style courtyard garden, with sunlight gently pouring in through the window. An overhead shower head, the width of one's shoulders, provides a relaxing bathing experience. The tsubo-niwa also serves as a light well, allowing wind and light to permeate each floor, creating a comfortable living environment.
Project Duration and Location
This project was completed in September 2020. The site is situated in a quiet residential area of Tokyo, yet it features an extremely dense layout of buildings. The conditions for access to the main road are strict, with only a mere 2 meters of frontage, resulting in a very narrow and elongated shape of the plot. The rear of the property is slightly wider, forming a typical flagpole-shaped site that resulted from land division.
Specifications
Site area: 84.39 m2 Building area: 48.82 m2 Total floor area: 114.60 m2 Number of floors: Ground 3 floors 1st floor: 50.47 m2 2nd floor: 50.38 m2 3rd floor: 28.56 m2 Height: Maximum height 9.38 m Structure: wooden
Keywords
House, Residence, wooden, Japan, Tokyo

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