Press Release
Kazushige Masuya Is Honored with the Bronze A' Design Award for Jingumae Project, Tokyo Japan Residence in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Kazushige Masuya honored for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Jingumae Project, Tokyo Japan Residence by Kazushige Masuya has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 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 assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About Jingumae Project, Tokyo Japan Residence
Jingumae Project is an apartment renovation in Harajuku, Tokyo, facing Togo Shrine. The L-shaped layout merges two units, and curved walls and ceilings improve movement through the home. Chestnut wood, stone and hand-blown glass are used with minimal surface treatment, so the natural textures remain visible. The sliding doors and other curved elements are carved from single pieces of solid wood. Parquet flooring and door details recall traditional Japanese lattice patterns. Earthy tones create a calm and elegant setting for urban living.
Award Record
With this recognition, Kazushige Masuya is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Entries typically include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. Awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior
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/172899
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/172899
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!172899
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/368727
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
- Jingumae Project, Tokyo Japan Residence
- Function
- Residence
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Black, Dark Olive Green, Dim Gray, Dark Slate Gray and Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Kazushige Masuya
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #172899
Credits
- Team
- Shinichi Itami(life design kabaya co.,ltd), Senior Designer, Yuki Monden(life design kabaya co.,ltd), Designer, Taeko Shinchi(life design kabaya co.,ltd), Yukihiko Asaka(life design kabaya co.,ltd) and Construction Manager
- Image Credits
- Photographer Daiki Morita, ZOOM, 2024
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This apartment renovation facing Togo Shrine in Harajuku blends natural materials to create a modern East-meets-West design inspired by Taisho-era aesthetics. The L-shaped layout merges two units, with curved walls and ceilings enhancing flow. Materials like chestnut wood, stone, and hand-blown glass emphasize sustainability and craftsmanship. Earthy tones and natural accents create a serene yet elegant atmosphere, offering a new model for urban living that harmonizes nature and modern life.
- Inspiration
- We created a space that feels in harmony with nature, as if bringing the serene environment and greenery of the shrine into the interior. Specifically, surface treatments were kept to a minimum to highlight the natural textures of the materials. Inspired by traditional Japanese lattice doors and patterns, these design elements are reflected in the parquet flooring and door detailing.
- Research
- We were asked to reconsider the standard interior and architectural modules to ensure the client could live comfortably. Through discussions, we carefully reviewed factors such as circulation widths, dimensions at corners, and the overall flow of daily life. As a result, some areas required more generous spatial allowances than usual. However, upon completion, the client expressed great satisfaction, feeling that the space had become a truly unique environment tailored specifically for them.
- Challenge
- Since this project began during the unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic, sourcing materials, furniture, and fixtures took far longer than expected. However, this situation allowed us to secure time for deep discussions with the client about fundamental questions: What truly makes a home livable? What defines comfort? As a result, the project became a kind of antithesis to the prevailing trend of prioritizing economic efficiency, prompting everyone involved to reconsider the essence of their work.
- Realization and Technology
- The sliding doors are crafted using a technique called sumimaru-gōshi, where the lattice is carved from a single piece of solid wood. Instead of attaching separately rounded pieces, the curves are directly shaped from one block of wood. This method achieves a simple yet elegant and softly refined impression. Similarly, for other wooden elements, the curved (R-shaped) forms are also created by carving from single pieces of solid wood as much as possible, ensuring a sense of cohesion throughout the space.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in October 2022 and finished in November 2024.
- Keywords
- Residence, apartment, natural materials, granite, solid wood, parquet, door
