KItoNOKO — Bringing the Feeling of “Home” into an Industrial Landscape

What does it mean to create a sense of home in a place where no homes exist?

Located in Hiroshima’s reclaimed coastal industrial district—an area defined by warehouses and factories—KItoNOKO reimagines the office as a welcoming, human-centered environment. Designed for Nikko Home Group, a company specializing in timber housing, the project extends their philosophy beyond houses, creating a place where anyone can experience the essence of living with wood.

The name “KItoNOKO” combines the Japanese words for wood (ki) and saw (noko), referring to the simple act of cutting timber—the very beginning of architecture. This idea forms the conceptual foundation of the project: a return to the origins of building through material, scale, and craft.

Rather than a conventional office, KItoNOKO is conceived as a “house for everyone.” Former clients, future homeowners, and visitors can gather, linger, and experience the atmosphere of domestic space. A 910 mm timber module—derived from traditional Japanese housing—organizes the entire building. Familiar proportions, such as the 4.5 tatami grid, subtly evoke the spatial memory of home.

To engage the surrounding industrial context, the building’s grid is rotated 45 degrees toward the street, creating a distinctive form and improving visibility. This move generates small planted pockets that introduce greenery into the otherwise rigid landscape, softening its character and inviting people in.

Inside, a central atrium acts as a circulation spine, allowing visitors to move fluidly through the space. The angled geometry expands the perception of depth, creating a rich spatial experience within a compact footprint.

The timber structure is fully exposed, expressing both material honesty and structural clarity. Diagonal beams form a sequence of triangular frames, while more than 5,000 slender wooden slats enrich the interior with rhythm, texture, and warmth. Without surface coatings, the natural scent and tactility of wood remain present, engaging the senses directly.

Light and air further animate the space. Daylight filters through carefully placed openings, interacting with the grain of the timber, while warm air rises naturally through the atrium in winter, reinforcing a quiet environmental logic.

By introducing the scale and sensibility of domestic architecture into an industrial setting, KItoNOKO proposes a new relationship between workplace, community, and the craft of building. It is not just an office, but a shared place—where architecture begins again from the simple act of working with wood.