tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate

the project adopts renewable energy and locally produced materials, aiming at creating a co-existence with the unique natural environment.

Tatsuro Sasaki edited by lea zeitoun June 13, 2017 2 min

situated in the northernmost city of japan in wakkanai, hokkaido, this office building is realized by tatsuro sasaki architects for a company involved in renewable energy. the town of this site has very harsh natural climates with strong ocean winds and winters with blizzard. in these extreme conditions, the architecture is aimed to have a universal and lasting allure. ‘it is critical to not only be able to stand up to the natural environment, but also to be able to coexist and have a good relationship with nature,’ notes the architects.

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entrance side of the office

tatsuro sasaki architects has divided the structure into the office and garage wing with a space established in between. the office wing secures pleasant natural light, while the large grass area creates a new landscape, adding depth to the town. renewable energy is adopted actively as well. in cold regions, reducing the heating load during winter seasons is a big challenge; hence, in this project, floor heating in the buildings and underground heat pumps to melt the site’s snow are applied, allowing for lower costs and comfortable open spaces.

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the walls of the paneling made of natural tropical wood

the solar panels installed on the exterior walls allow the generation of electricity even during snow accumulating winters, creating a distinguishing facade. deep eaves that help regulate the sunlight, clerestory windows to release warm air, thermally insulating and airtight wooden sash windows, usage of local materials, are just a few of the details. ‘in the end, the hope is for this structure to become a charm of the location’.

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from the front road

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the waiting space as a gallery, and sometimes used as an event venue

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meeting room

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stairway side

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concrete cantilever

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glass and blinds gently partition the workspace and entrance gallery

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office room adjacent to the courtyard

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layout provides a functionally large space for meeting and working

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evening view of the entrance

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street view towards the interiors

project info:

structural design：masahito sasaki
completion：2016.07
principal use：Office
structure：RC structure
site area：1868.73 sqm
total floor area：757.59 sqm
location：hokkaido, wakkanai, japan

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