Kouunji Kyakuden Buluhaton sa Pagdawat sa Templo by Hiroaki Iwasa

Kouunji Kyakuden Buluhaton sa Pagdawat sa Templo by Hiroaki Iwasa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award nga Bronse in Disenyo sa Arkitektura, Gambalay ug Estruktura Competition Category.

BronseArkitektura· 2025

Kouunji Kyakuden Buluhaton sa Pagdawat sa Templo

by Hiroaki Iwasa

Client: Hiroaki Iwasa Architects Workshop

A' Design Award nga Bronse Winner in Arkitektura Category

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The Design

About Kouunji Kyakuden Buluhaton sa Pagdawat sa Templo

Ang proyekto mao ang pagbag-o sa 140 ka tuig nga edad nga buluhaton sa pagdawat, nga usa sa mga pasilidad sa templong Budista nga Kouunji. Ang daan nga buluhaton sa pagdawat gihigugma sa lokal nga komunidad sulod sa taas nga panahon; apan, tungod sa grabe nga kadaot niini sa paglabay sa mga tuig, kinahanglan kini moagi sa pagbag-o. Gisulbad sa arkitekto kini nga mga isyu pinaagi sa pag-update ug pagharmonisa, ug naghimo usab og pipila ka mga sistema aron maipasa ang handumanan sa lokal nga komunidad ngadto sa sunod nga henerasyon. Isip resulta, dili lamang ang bag-ong buluhaton sa pagdawat nakab-ot ang usa ka pagbati sa kamaingon kondili usa usab ka presensya sa konteksto sa kasaysayan.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award nga Bronse

Kouunji Kyakuden Buluhaton sa Pagdawat sa Templo usa ka mananaog sa A' Design Award nga Bronse, usa ka labihan ka prestihiyoso nga pag-ila nga gihatag sa talagsaon nga mga disenyo nga gipaila sa pagkamamugnaon, kaabtik, ug kamatngon. Ang mga mananaog sa Bronse mga hanas kaayo ug makapahibulong nga mamugnaon nga mga artipakto nga nagpamatuod sa dakong kasinatian, imahinasyon, ug kaabtik sa ilang mga tigdesinyo. Gilauman nga ang Kouunji Kyakuden Buluhaton sa Pagdawat sa Templo mahimong gipabilhan, gihangaan, ug gihigugma nga butang nga talagsaon ang pagkapropesyonal ug bag-o. Kini nga disenyo nga nakadaog og A' Design Award nga Bronse naglakip sa labing maayong mga praktis sa arte, siyensya, disenyo, ug teknolohiya ug maayo kaayo tungod sa pagtagad niini sa mga detalye. Kouunji Kyakuden Buluhaton sa Pagdawat sa Templo nagtagbaw sa mga panginahanglan sa matahom nga paagi, nag-igo sa mga tinguha, nagbihag sa mga pagbati, ug nagdani sa pagkamausisaon.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This project was the reconstruction of the reception hall of a Buddhist temple passed 140 years. The old reception hall had been loved by the local community for long time, but it was beyond the scope of repair. Therefore architect took on various creative challenges. He aimed to solve these issues by updating it to modern functions, harmonizing it with other facilities, and devising some mechanisms to pass on the memory of local society to the next generation. As a result, this architecture was able to achieve not a sense of nostalgia but also a presence for the future.
Dimensions & Packaging: Specification,
Scale/ Wooden two-story building,
Structure/ Timber frame structure,
Site Area/ 3039.15 Square meter,
Building Area/ 277.26 Square meter,
Total Floor Area/ 323.77 Square meter,
Tags: temple, reception hall, reused, minimal philosophy, local landscape, passing on the memories, historical context, local community
Production Technology: This project had a clear floor plan with each function directly connected around the entrance hall, but there were many difficult construction tasks in some places. Ground reinforcement and strong foundation construction for soft ground, woodwork including special joints to structurally reuse old materials, fabrication of delicate and movable cedar lattices, and the revival of forgotten traditional natural paints "Kumezo". This project was realized through thoughtful design and exceptional craftsmanship.
Design Challenge: Various choices and challenges were made to pass on the memory of the local community. By choosing a common wooden house construction method rather than the traditional temple construction method, they were able to shorten the construction period, reduce construction costs, and as the result have time to repair and reuse old materials. The exterior has a roof shape unique to the region, and the walls and window lattices are finished with local cedar wood and with a revived traditional natural paint "Kumezo". As a result, this architecture achieved a special harmony and presence.
Research: Type of Research: About the relationship between Kouunji and the local area.
Methodology: History, landscape and topography research, annual event research, monk behavior research, and interviews with local residents,
Conclusion: Kouunji is the core of the local community that people have visited since childhood for events and daily life. The architect concluded that in addition to modernizing the function of the ceremony hall and harmonizing it with other facilities, it was essential to create a mechanism to pass on the memory of the local community to the next generation.
Inspiration: Researching the old reception hall and the landscape and history of the area provided architect with important inspiration. In particular, the old reception hall was tilted due to the soft ground, but it was discovered that some of the main structures, such as beams and columns, were valuable materials that are currently unavailable, and could be reused if repaired. And new architecture was important not only for its shape in the landscape, but also for its presence within the historical context.
Project Duration: The project started in February 2002 and was completed in November 2004 in Tsukubamirai City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Operation Flow: Kouunji is an essential presence for the region.
Because the parishioners of Kouunji are local residents and their relatives, and annual events and celebrations and condolences are mainly held for the parishioners. The reception hall, located to the side of the main hall, functions in conjunction with the main hall during events, and is used for religious ceremonies, waiting areas, dinners using the kitchen function, and a meeting place. It also functions as an emergency temporary evacuation center in the event of a disaster. There is also a temple office that oversees them.
Image Credits: Photographer Kozo Takayama