Seiji Takahashi Receives the Bronze A' Design Award for Arc V House in Architecture, Building and Structure Design

Seiji Takahashi recognized 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/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Arc V House by Seiji Takahashi, designed for Kiryu Atelier＆T Architects, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category. The result belongs to 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 evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

What the Bronze A' Design Award Means

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 Arc V House

Arc V is a house designed for two generations of one family at the foot of a hill with ancient burial mounds and castle ruins. The residence is formed by two independent white volumes placed in a symmetrical V shaped arrangement. The geometry directs the view toward the historical hillside. A central void between the volumes works as a courtyard and a shared approach, giving privacy to each household while keeping a visual connection. Black metal and exposed concrete mark the entrance. A shared family room joins the two wings.

About Seiji Takahashi

Seiji Takahashi is a Japanese Architect. He is currently based in Nagoya,Aichi,Japan where he’s been running his own Architecture’ KIRYU ATELIER＆T Architects Co., Ltd’. The firm works in the diverse segments of Interior and Architecture of Residential, Villa,Commercials, Corporates, Hospitals and Factory.Their designs are highly detailed, and they are constantly pursuing creativity and beauty.

Award Record

With this recognition, Seiji Takahashi is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2023 - 2024 and the 2025 - 2026 editions 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. 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/180153
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180153
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180153
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/352115
Further Information from the Laureate: https://t-arch.main.jp/

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: Arc V House
Function: House
Category: Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Discipline: Spatial Design
Industry: Architecture
Colors: Dark Slate Gray, Steel Blue, Black, Cadet Blue and Dim Gray
Images: 5
Client: Kiryu Atelier＆T Architects

The Recognition

Laureate: Seiji Takahashi
Country: Japan
Recognition: Bronze A' Design Award
Edition: 2025 - 2026
Design ID: #180153

Credits

Design Details

Unique Properties: The design features two independent units for the parent and child generations, arranged in a symmetrical V-shaped configuration. This layout directs the perspective vanishing point toward the historical hill in the background. The central void between the two units functions as a courtyard and approach, reconciling the opposing requirements of individual privacy and shared familial presence within a multi-generational home.
Inspiration: This two-family residence stands at the foot of a hill rich with multi-layered historical strata, where 1,600-year-old ancient burial mounds and 500-year-old warring-states castle ruins rest. The V-shaped configuration directs the perspective toward the sacred hills behind while harmonizing the conflicting needs of privacy and family connection, thus completing a narrative of familial continuity.
Research: The architectural process began with an investigation into the history of the city and the surrounding site. This research was conducted because the interaction between a building and its environment is of primary importance. Approximately 1600 years ago, this location was a sacred area where burial mounds known as Kofun were built for kings. Many burial mounds are preserved on the hill situated at the back of the project site. The memory of people selecting and protecting this land as a special place remains present in the topography. The name Torideyama originates from a fort that once existed here for samurai to protect the town.
Challenge: The primary architectural challenge was to reconcile the site’s inherent historical weight with the conflicting requirements of a multi-generational program: the necessity for individual privacy and the desire for a shared familial presence. This was resolved through a V-shaped configuration that generates a "central void." Functioning as both a courtyard and a communal approach, this interstitial space provides spatial autonomy for each household while maintaining a mediated connection between the two generations. At the structural vertex where the wings converge, a shared family room serves as a critical generational intersection, embodying the narrative of familial continuity.
Realization and Technology: Materiality plays a crucial role in defining the narrative of "thresholds". At the approach, black metal and exposed concrete walls reminiscent of castle gates create a psychological boundary between public and private realms. In contrast, the white volumes of the living spaces symbolize the lightness of modern life. These volumes appear to "float" above the weight of history, embodying a vivid contrast between the past and the present.
Operation and Interaction: The Arc V House is a residence for two families located at the base of a hill containing 1600 year old burial mounds and 500 year old castle ruins. Residents approach the home through a gate made of black metal and concrete that establishes a boundary between the public street and the private interior. Upon entering, inhabitants move through a central courtyard that serves as a shared approach for both households. The house is divided into two symmetrical white volumes arranged in a V shape to provide privacy for the parent and child generations while maintaining a visual connection across the void.
Project Duration and Location: The project began in July 2023 in a regional city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and was completed in December 2025.
Specifications: Site area 785.45m2 gross building area 493.49m2 covered area 369.9m2
Keywords: Architecture, two-family residence,modern architecture, concrete