Press Release
Fuma House by Masakatsu Matsuyama Receives the Platinum A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Masakatsu Matsuyama 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 Fuma House by Masakatsu Matsuyama, designed for Matsuyama Architect and Associates, has been granted the Platinum A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Platinum A' Design Award
The Platinum A' Design Award is recognized for honoring designs that stand at the forefront of creativity and innovation. It is the highest accolade bestowed by the A' Design Awards, acknowledging works that blend remarkable innovation with impactful societal contributions. These designs not only showcase exceptional artistic and technical proficiency but also highlight their creators' commitment to advancing the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Recipients of this award are celebrated for their role in shaping the aesthetics and trends of our time, contributing significantly to the enhancement of quality of life and promoting sustainable development.
More About Fuma House
Fuma is a three-story house in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The site faces a busy railway to the east, so the first-floor east wall is set back, while the second-floor structure and the third-floor eaves block noise, vibration and street views. Gaps between these elements let natural light and outside ambiance reach the interior. The main living space is on the second floor and works like a single-story home. Reinforced concrete load-bearing walls and unbonded cables support cantilevers of 5.6 meters east and 3.2 meters south. Large glazed openings face the courtyard.
About Masakatsu Matsuyama
An architectural design office led by architect Masakatsu Matsuyama. Based in Fukuoka, Japan, the office engages in design activities across various architectural genres, including hospitals, clinics, houses, and commercial facilities. It has received numerous awards both domestically and internationally.
Award Record
This recognition makes Masakatsu Matsuyama 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/164807
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/164807
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!164807
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/359187
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.matsuyama-a.co.jp/project/fu-ma/
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
- Fuma House
- Function
- House
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Royal Blue, Cornflower Blue, Sky Blue, Dark Slate Gray and Silver
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Matsuyama Architect and Associates
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Masakatsu Matsuyama
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Platinum A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #164807
Credits
- Image Credits
- Photographer Toshihisa Ishii, FU-MA, 2024
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The living dining room on the second floor connects to the third-floor theater room via a double-height space. An east-west axis from the first-floor courtyard to the third-floor terrace is connected sectionally, while a north-south axis from the second-floor terrace at the south to the stairwell at the north is integrated into the plan. This interaction between internal and external spaces creates diverse indoor environments. The client's determination to live this area even under these unlivable environments form this architecture which allow to live such open, unusual and tranquil living.
- Inspiration
- The site is in a once-flourishing town during Japan's modernization era, now seemingly deserted. To the east, a busy railway with about 250 trains daily causes constant noise. North of the site, the drinking quarter makes it less than ideal for residential use. Additionally, memories of severe flood damage linger in the minds of long-time residents. Our challenge was to create a rigid structure to address these negative factors and design a comfortable living environment.
- Research
- We prioritize interpreting the potential of the land, guiding unique architectural forms and family lives that can only exist in that specific location. Each project involves different land, clients, and conditions, resulting in diverse solutions. In this case, while addressing various harsh environmental factors, we aimed to create an open and enriching living space, leading to a one-of-a-kind architecture that would not be possible in other locations or under different circumstances.
- Challenge
- We designed a three-story building with the primary living space on the second floor, where most essential activities could be completed as if it were a single-story dwelling. To support the large second-floor volume, we introduced series of two and three-story high load-bearing walls and applied two unbonded PC cables along the east-west axis to enable a cantilevered structure extending 5.6m east and 3.2m south. The symbolic U-shaped wall also assists the southern cantilever.
- Realization and Technology
- The east facade’s first-floor wall was set back from the railway, with complex-profile second floor structures and third-floor eaves blocking noise, vibration, and street views. Gaps between these structures allow natural light and external ambiance into the internal space. Large glazed openings face the courtyard, extending the interior space towards the semi-open external area.
- Operation and Interaction
- The homeowner begins each morning on the terrace table with coffee instead of at the dining table. On sunny days, they open the parasol and enjoy the gentle breeze among the plants, signaling the start of the day. Despite nearby trains, they feel no noise or vibrations, enjoying a wonderfully comfortable life. After sunset, they continue their open lifestyle, never closing the curtains. The children fully utilize the layout, running freely indoors and sharing joyful smiles across the atrium.
- Project Duration and Location
- Design duration: June 2021 – August 2022 (15 months) Construction duration: September 2022 – January 2024 (17 months) Location: Fukuoka Prefecture – Japan
- Specifications
- Three-story reinforced concrete structure Site area: 510.86 square meters Total floor area: 464.76 square meters First floor area: 130.70 square meters Second floor area: 238.40 square meters Third floor area: 95.66 square meters
- Keywords
- concrete, cantilever, atrium, planting, massive, open, modern, luxury, like a resort hotel, without curtains
