Press Release
Between Forest and Light Residential Interior by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan Wins the A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan of MisoSoupDesign honored for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 21, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Between Forest and Light Residential Interior by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan of MisoSoupDesign has been granted the A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. 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 scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Between Forest and Light Residential Interior
Between Forest and Light is the interior design of a four-story private residence organized to connect domestic functions with the surrounding landscape. The layout arranges communal and private spaces vertically, allowing each floor to align with specific views and daylight conditions. Stone, wood, and glass define transitions between areas and regulate transparency. Indirect lighting and concealed systems keep surfaces clear. The design emphasizes spatial sequencing, visual framing, and light control to bring the forest setting into everyday living.
About Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan
Daisuke Nagatomo graduated from Meiji University in Tokyo, and decided to pursue his passion of architecture at Columbia University, where he received master degree in advanced architectural design. Nagatomo began his career in the metropolitan New York area with architecture firms, including TEN Arquitectos and Design Office for Research and Architecture. He was the invited researcher for FabLab House project at IaaC, Barcelona from 2009 to 2010 where he holds research diploma. Nagatomo is currently the assistant professor of National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan as well as adjunct faculty member of Tokyo Denki University.
About MisoSoupDesign
MisoSoupDesign is Japan / Taiwan based Design Studio led by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan.
Award Record
This recognition makes Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan of MisoSoupDesign a winner of 38 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2011 - 2012 to 2025 - 2026 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
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/180659
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180659
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180659
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/112232
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.yenarch.com/
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
- Between Forest and Light Residential Interior
- Function
- Residential Interior
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Silver, Dark Gray, Dark Slate Gray, Rosy Brown and Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan
- Country
- Taiwan (China)
- Brand
- MisoSoupDesign
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180659
Credits
- Team
- Daisuke Nagatomo, Minnie Jan and Daniel Wang
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Between Forest and Light reinterprets vertical residential living as a layered landscape. Each floor offers a distinct relationship with nature through controlled transparency, framed views, and material variation. Curved stone walls, filtered glazing, and integrated lighting soften spatial transitions, creating a continuous yet diverse living experience that evolves from ground to top floor.
- Inspiration
- The project is inspired by the site’s hillside setting and dense greenery. Rather than treating nature as a backdrop, the design frames forest views as an integral spatial element. Light, shadow, and seasonal changes are incorporated into daily life, allowing residents to experience nature from multiple perspectives across different floors.
- Research
- This project investigates how vertical residential interiors can mediate the relationship between dense natural environments and contemporary domestic living. Through a four-story private residence, the design explores spatial sequencing, material articulation, and daylight modulation as tools to integrate forest landscapes into everyday life. The research focuses on how framed views, controlled transparency, and layered material systems influence occupants’ perception of space, privacy, and environmental continuity.
- Challenge
- The primary challenge was designing a vertical residence that maintains spatial coherence while responding to varied programmatic needs across four levels. Another key challenge was balancing openness to the surrounding forest with privacy, environmental comfort, and structural constraints, while ensuring daylight penetration throughout the deep interior spaces.
- Realization and Technology
- The project integrates custom stone cladding, wood panel systems, and precision glass partitions to achieve seamless transitions between spaces. Indirect lighting, concealed mechanical systems, and bespoke furniture elements are carefully coordinated to maintain visual clarity. Natural materials were selected for durability, aging quality, and their ability to enhance light reflection and spatial depth.
- Operation and Interaction
- Daily movement unfolds vertically from public to private spaces. The ground floor connects communal living areas to the garden, while upper levels gradually shift toward more intimate functions. Visual connections between floors and outdoor views guide circulation, allowing residents to experience changing light conditions and forest scenery as part of everyday routines.
- Project Duration and Location
- Design 2020 - 2021 Construction 2021 - 2022 Completion 2022
- Specifications
- Project Type: Private Residence Location: Xindian District, New Taipei City, Taiwan Building Height: 4 stories Scope: Interior Design Completion Year: 2021
- Keywords
- Residential interior, Vertical living, Natural light, Forest view, Material layering
