Press Release
Yoshinogawa Valley Headquarters Building Renovation by Wataru Sato Is Granted the Bronze A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Wataru Sato honored for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Yoshinogawa Valley Headquarters Building Renovation by Wataru Sato, designed for KITAOKA Group, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 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 scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
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.
Regarding Yoshinogawa Valley Headquarters Building Renovation
This project is a renovation of a 40-year-old prefabricated office building without demolition. A 50-meter linear void is inserted at the center of the existing structure, aligned with the east-west axis of the Yoshino River, reorganizing the building into two north-south wings. Named Yoshino River Valley, this spatial operation forms the backbone of the architecture. A north-oriented skylight provides stable daylight, while passive ventilation is generated through height and pressure differences. By reorganizing the building, the project avoids dividing the values it supports.
About Wataru Sato
WATARU ARCHITECTS is a Japan-based architectural design studio working across architecture, interior, and spatial design. The practice is characterized by a cross-disciplinary approach that carefully reads the cultural, social, and environmental contexts of both urban and regional settings, without limiting itself to specific programs or scales. Rather than focusing solely on form or function, WATARU ARCHITECTS approaches architecture as a means to reorganize values that shape relationships between people, society, and the environment.
Award Record
Wataru Sato is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
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/175868
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/175868
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!175868
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/372483
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://wataruarchitects.com/works/kitaoka/
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
- Yoshinogawa Valley Headquarters Building Renovation
- Function
- Headquarters Building Renovation
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Dark Gray, Silver, Gray, Dark Slate Gray and Dim Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- KITAOKA Group
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Wataru Sato
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #175868
Credits
- Image Credits
- Photographer Keita Yamamoto (Architectural Photography), Kitaoka Group Headquarters Renovation, 2024.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Inspired by the Yoshinogawa River, the design translates the structure of a valley into architecture. By dividing the existing building into two volumes and inserting a linear void, a valley-like interior is created. A 50-meter skylight brings daylight inside, while the void enables ventilation, greenery, and social interaction. This configuration integrates environmental elements into the workplace. Through renovation, the design reinterprets an existing office and proposes a new spatial model.
- Inspiration
- The project draws inspiration from the Yoshinogawa River, known as the Mother River of Tokushima. Rather than referencing its form directly, the design interprets the river as a spatial structure. By inserting a linear void through the existing building, the architecture transforms the logic of a valley into an interior condition, bringing light, wind, and greenery deep into the space, while also inviting relationships among people, families, and the local community.
- Research
- This research examines how renovation can achieve environmental performance comparable to new construction. A skylight and central void introduce daylight and passive ventilation, reducing reliance on mechanical systems. Monitoring shows that artificial lighting is unnecessary during daytime and HVAC demand is reduced. Annual energy decreased by about 73,000 kWh, with savings of 65% in lighting and 30% in air conditioning. The project presents a replicable model for sustainable renovation.
- Challenge
- The primary challenge was to renew the environmental and social value of a deteriorated prefabricated office without demolition or new construction. Introducing a skylight and central void into an enclosed structure required coordination of structural, safety, and cost constraints. Rather than relying on equipment, the design redefines spatial organization as an environmental system. The project shows that architectural operations can generate new value within existing buildings.
- Realization and Technology
- The project renovates an existing prefabricated office building without demolition. A central valley-like void integrates daylight, ventilation, and greenery. Continuous skylights provide stable north light, while passive ventilation is driven by height and pressure differences. Spatial organization is redefined as an environmental system, reducing reliance on mechanical equipment. Existing structure and finishes are retained, forming a layered expression and a sustainable model for reuse.
- Operation and Interaction
- The building transforms a closed office into an open environment accessible to families and the local community. The central valley acts as a social axis supporting movement, staying, and interaction. The ground floor serves as a shared space, while the upper floor provides flexible work areas. Users are not assigned fixed workplaces but choose spaces as needed. Through everyday use, the project encourages informal encounters and redefines how work and social life coexist.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in January 2023 in Miyoshi Town, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, and was completed in August 2024.
- Specifications
- A valley-like void and continuous skylight are introduced at the center of a 50-meter prefabricated office building. The two-story void brings daylight to the ground floor and enhances natural ventilation. A 7-meter Benjamin fig tree is placed at the center, visible from both levels. Planting along the void forms a layered green environment connected to the exterior. Existing structure and finishes are retained, creating a composition where old and new materials coexist.
- Keywords
- Prefabricated office renovation, open lounge, atrium and skylight, regional architecture, nature-inspired workspace, Yoshino River
