Office MIURADENKI

Wakkanai, Japan

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Office MIURADENKI

Wakkanai, Japan

Firm

Tatsuro Sasaki Architects

Type

Commercial › Office

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2016

SIZE

5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

BUDGET

Undisclosed

This is a new office project for a company involved in renewable energy in the northern most city of Japan in Wakkanai, Hokkaido. 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.
The structure is separated into the office and garage wing with a space established in between. The office wing secures pleasant natural light, while the large grass space 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. In this project, floor heating in the buildings and underground heat pumps to melt the site’s snow are applied, allowing for lower heating and lighting costs and having comfortable large open spaces. The solar panels installed on the exterior walls make possible 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. The hope is for this structure, to become a charm of the location.