Press Release
Kei Tamai Receives the Golden A' Design Award for Yokohama Chigasakihigashi Housing in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Kei Tamai recognized for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 19, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Yokohama Chigasakihigashi Housing by Kei Tamai, designed for Skymission, has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 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 evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Golden A' Design Award Means
The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
About Yokohama Chigasakihigashi Housing
Yokohama Chigasakihigashi is a detached house designed to connect daily life with the sky. Rooms and hallways surround a central courtyard, called a sky room, framed by simple white spaces. The flexible layout allows the courtyard to act as the focal point or to merge with the surrounding rooms, supporting several ways of living. Windows bring soft natural light inside, reducing the need for artificial lighting. The total floor area is 129.17 square meters. The design revives the traditional Japanese connection with nature.
About Kei Tamai
In Japan's urban areas, the population has begun to decline and we are now in an era where there are too many houses, and even though this will continue to progress, unnecessary densification continues. If we hold out for a while now, we can maintain this favorable environment into the future. Now that we have moved from an era of expanding towns to an era of shrinking towns, carefully constructing each house will lead to a beautiful town. Building homes that lead to the future is our social contribution.
Award Record
This recognition makes Kei Tamai 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. 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
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/164194
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/164194
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!164194
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/358358
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://pr-h.net/
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
- Yokohama Chigasakihigashi Housing
- Function
- Housing
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Black, Sky Blue and Midnight Blue
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Skymission
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Kei Tamai
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Golden A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #164194
Credits
- Team
- Shin Takamatsu
- Image Credits
- Copyright、Principal Home Co., Ltd.、2024
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This spec home focuses on living in harmony with the sky, designed by renowned architect Shin Takamatsu, an expert in traditional Japanese housing. Takamatsu believes that a home must have a deep relationship with the sky. The design includes a room extending toward the sky, surrounded by simple white spaces. This flexible layout allows the sky room to be the focal point or to blend with the surrounding spaces, offering various living styles that connect with the sky.
- Inspiration
- In the suburbs of major cities, cramped living with close neighbors is unavoidable. Modern homes prioritize energy efficiency, insulation, and privacy, resulting in inward living spaces where people often keep curtains shut to avoid outside views. Traditionally, Japanese homes embraced nature, harmonizing with the climate and reflecting a deep connection to the environment. This project aims to restore those lost values and reconnect modern living with nature.
- Research
- Traditional Japanese homes, like Kyoto's machiya, were designed to bring natural elements such as light and air into daily life, even in densely built cities. These homes had a garden at their center, creating comfort, respect for nature, and a unique aesthetic. Modern homes, however, prioritize performance and have become isolated from nature, heavily relying on energy. Now is the time to revive the traditional Japanese lifestyle, reducing energy use and reconnecting with nature.
- Challenge
- In the suburbs of major cities, small-scale developments for mass markets dominate, leading to declining living environments. Our company resists this trend by maintaining developments at their current scale to preserve quality. For properties priced over 100 million yen, delivering value is crucial, and working with renowned architects is one approach. While spec homes make achieving ideal designs easier, strict budget constraints create constant challenges between cost and design.
- Realization and Technology
- Rooms and hallways surround a courtyard, seen as a "sky room." Residents can enjoy different lifestyles, such as centering their lives around the courtyard or combining the courtyard and surrounding spaces into one. A simple glance upward from any space reveals the sky. The courtyard connects seamlessly with the rooms, and the windows create soft natural light without needing artificial lighting. The skyline encourages passersby to look up and experience the sky as well.
- Operation and Interaction
- Residents can move freely between the courtyard and surrounding spaces, enjoying different living styles, such as centering life around the "sky room" or combining the courtyard with surrounding areas. From any spot, a glance upward reveals the sky. Natural light and air create a comfortable environment without relying on energy. The changing scenery, bird songs, and clouds further enrich the emotional experience of the residents, deepening their connection to nature.
- Project Duration and Location
- The collaboration between architect Shin Takamatsu and Principal Home began in 2014. We discussed the direction of the project for over a year and a half, and entered the design phase in 2015. In 2016, "AROUND THE SKY" was completed and received the Good Design Award. Later, in 2017, "WITH THE SKY" was finished, followed by the construction of "ALONG THE SKY." This year, the construction of two "IN THE SKY" buildings has also been completed.
- Specifications
- Site area：165.01㎡ Building area：70.71㎡ Total floor area：129.17㎡
- Keywords
- housing,japan,modern,architecture,Yokohama
