Komazawa Daigaku Chaw Nres Tsheb Ciav Hlau by Uds Ltd.

Komazawa Daigaku Chaw Nres Tsheb Ciav Hlau by Uds Ltd. is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Nyiaj in Tsim Vaj Tsev, Tsev thiab Qauv Tsev Competition Category.

NyiajVaj Tsev· 2026

Komazawa Daigaku Chaw Nres Tsheb Ciav Hlau

by Uds Ltd.

Client: UDS Ltd.

A' Design Award Nyiaj Winner in Vaj Tsev Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Komazawa Daigaku Chaw Nres Tsheb Ciav Hlau

Komazawa Daigaku yog ib qhov chaw nres tsheb ciav hlau uas raug kho tshiab nyob hauv qab Komazawa Park hauv Setagaya, Tokyo. Lub tswv yim Under the Park (Hauv Qab Lub Tiaj Ua Si) saib qhov chaw taug kev hauv av zoo li cov cag ntoo thiab cov tsev tawm mus zoo li cov ntoo ua cim. Cov khoom ntawm qhov chaw nres tsheb raug muab faib ua peb lub sijhawm: cov av uas nyob mus ib txhis, cov ntoo uas laus zuj zus thiab cov nplooj uas hloov tshiab. Cov pobzeb thiab cov plag tsev terrazzo qub raug khaws cia kom txo tau cov khoom pov tseg, thiab siv cov ntoo hauv lub tebchaws. Ib daim npog qab nthab uas yog hlau ci ua kom pom qhov kaj zoo li duab tshav ntuj hla nplooj ntoo. Cov rooj zaum thiab cov rooj txais tos caw kom neeg tuaj so thiab sib ntsib.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Nyiaj

Komazawa Daigaku Chaw Nres Tsheb Ciav Hlau yog tus yeej ntawm A' Design Award Nyiaj, ib qho kev lees paub muaj meej mom heev tshaj li qub uas muab rau cov qauv tsim qib siab, zoo nkauj thiab ua rau neeg xav tsis thoob. Cov neeg yeej Nyiaj yog cov haujlwm ci ntsa iab heev thiab tsim tshiab heev uas qhia txog kev paub, kev txawj ntse thiab kev ntse ntawm cov kws tsim qauv. Komazawa Daigaku Chaw Nres Tsheb Ciav Hlau xav tias yuav yog ib qho haujlwm zoo kawg nkaus uas tsim rau qhia, tshaj lij heev thiab tsim tshiab tob. Cov qauv tsim yeej A' Design Award Nyiaj no yog ib qho khoom tsim uas pom tseeb heev thiab neeg qhuas uas pab tau thiab nthuav dav ciam teb ntawm kev kos duab, kev tshawb fawb, kev tsim qauv thiab thev naus laus zis. Komazawa Daigaku Chaw Nres Tsheb Ciav Hlau yog ib qho khoom tsim uas neeg coob xav tau, uas ua rau xav, coj kev xav zoo thiab ua rau xav tsis thoob thiab xav paub.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This project's uniqueness is its "Under the Park" concept, which creates a consistent narrative for the entire space: the underground concourse is envisioned as the town's "roots," and the buildings as "symbolic trees." Furthermore, a unique design methodology redefines the station via three timescales: "permanent earthworks," "aging Trees," and "renewing leaves." This presents a new vision for an adaptable station designed to be loved long-term.
Dimensions & Packaging: Total Floor Area:
Underground Station Concourse: Approx. 6,500 sqm (RC structure, 2 floors below ground)
East Exit Building: 564.34 sqm (RC structure, 4 stories above ground)
West Exit Building 1: 398.58 sqm (Steel structure, 2 stories above ground)
West Exit Building 2: 346.80 sqm (Timber and partial RC structure, 4 stories above ground, 2 floors below ground)
Tags: Renovation, Station, Sustainability, Timber, AdaptiveReuse, Narrative, PublicSpace, Biophilic, Placemaking, Tokyo
Production Technology: This project’s realization is driven by sustainability. We minimized waste by preserving existing tiles and terrazzo floors, while using domestic timber for its warmth and environmental benefits. The West Exit building, in a fire protection district, pioneers advanced timber tech like LVL fire-resistant coating and a two-way rigid-frame structure (rare in Japan). A special metallic ceiling coating creates a unique komorebi (dappled sunlight) effect.
Design Challenge: Our greatest challenge was maintaining the consistency of the "Under the Park" concept across a four-year project with diverse work areas and many stakeholders. Amidst fragmented on-site decisions, our "Earthworks, Trees, and Leaves" design guideline served as the core guiding principle to return to. Additionally, realizing a timber station building in a fire protection district was a major external challenge, requiring us to overcome strict legal regulations and technical constraints.
Research: This practical research aimed to translate the given "Under the Park" concept into a sustainable space, creating new value for aging infrastructure. Our methodology was to develop the "Earthworks, Trees, and Leaves" model, which classifies station components by three timescales. Based on this model, we selected materials and composed the space, prototyping advanced timber technology in one building. The expected social impact is increased user dwell time, fostering affection for the station.
Inspiration: The primary source of inspiration for this project is its very location: "under Komazawa Park." We were strongly motivated by the desire to transform the aging, inorganic underground space—a place people have used daily for over 45 years—into a more comfortable and cherished environment. Therefore, we placed the "park," a quintessential landscape shared by all local residents, at the core of our concept. We envisioned that just as the trees in the park extend their roots underground to support their lush forms above, the station could also become like a living organism—absorbing, nurturing, and radiating the town's vitality. This poetic vision of "Under the Park" became the driving force behind the entire design.
Project Duration: This project was implemented at Komazawa-daigaku Station in Setagaya, Tokyo, as the first phase of the "Green Under Ground" renewal project by Tokyu Railways Co., Ltd. The schematic design phase began in August 2020, and the overall construction period for the station runs from July 2020 to March 2025. Completion is on April 1, 2025.
Operation Flow: Visitors are guided by the "Symbolic Tree"-like station buildings into the "Under the Park" world. Descending warm, trunk-like staircases, a space unfolds resembling the roots of a park, seemingly bathed in dappled sunlight. This functions not merely as a path to the trains, but as a "garden" for people to spend time as they wish. Intentionally placed benches and counters invite users to linger, meet or rest, generating a new, personal interaction with the station itself.
Team Members: Designer: Keiichi Ito
Designer: Yayoi Sato
Designer: Seshiro Honda
Graphic Designer: Yutaro Sakurai
Image Credits: Image #1 : TOKYU CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD., 2025
Optional Image #1 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #2 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #3 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #4 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #5 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025