Sumu Yakushima 住居 by Tsukasa Ono is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 銅賞 in 建築・建物・構造物デザイン Competition Category.
銅建築· 2026
Sumu Yakushima 住居
by Tsukasa Ono
Client: tono Inc.
A' Design Award 銅賞 Winner in 建築 Category
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The Design
About Sumu Yakushima 住居
Sumu Yakushimaは、日本の伝統的な土木技術と現代のテクノロジーを融合させた新しい設計手法である「環境再生型建築（リジェネラティブ・アーキテクチャー）」を実践しています。本プロジェクトは、地下環境をデザインし、建築を構築された菌糸ネットワークへと統合することで、生物多様性を高めています。建物とデッキは高床式とすることで、空気と水の自然な流れを保ち、山と海の間を風が自由に循環できるようにしています。この住居は完全にオフグリッドで稼働し、太陽光発電と薪を主要なエネルギー源としています。
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 銅賞
Sumu Yakushima 住居は、創造性、独創性、鋭い洞察力で際立つ傑出したデザインに授与される、高い権威をもつ評価である A' Design Award 銅賞の受賞作品です。銅賞の受賞作品は、十分に巧みで印象的なほど創造的な工芸品であり、デザイナーの豊富な経験、想像力、機知を裏づけています。Sumu Yakushima 住居は、高く評価され、称賛され、愛される品であり、顕著にプロフェッショナルで革新的であることが期待されます。この A' Design Award 銅賞を受賞したデザインは、芸術・科学・デザイン・技術のベストプラクティスを取り入れており、細部への配慮に優れています。Sumu Yakushima 住居は、ニーズを見事に満たし、欲求に触れ、感情を魅了し、好奇心を引きつけます。
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Yakushima Island is a natural paradise in southern Japan where abundant rainfall onto 2,000-meter peaks nurtures dense forests home to millennium-old Japanese cedar.
This innovative housing co-op applies Regenerative architecture to reconceptualize the relationship between human habitation and this nature. The name Sumu means both to live and to become clear, expressing its core concept of living in a way that positively impacts the landscape. - Dimensions & Packaging
- The building area: 162m2.
- Tags
- Regenerative, Sustainable, Nature positive, Environmental
- Production Technology
- Burned wood is placed under the foundations, and carbonized surfaces promote the growth of mycelium, joining the buildings to the soil network. This promotes a symbiotic effect whereby tree roots grow under the buildings and support the soil.
Sumu comprises several separate buildings to enable a layout that respects the original natural landscape. The buildings protect the tree roots and reduce the impact of the wind, while stones supply minerals to the surrounding soil and foster tree growth. Tree roots passing under the buildings support the soil, an act of symbiosis between nature and architecture.
The buildings are raised, dispersing wind flowing between mountain and sea without blocking it. This allows the forest to breathe, promoting healthy air and water circulation. Despite the humid climate, this ventilation prevents moisture accumulation that may damage the buildings.
The off-grid kitchen made with local cedar features a solar-powered radiant heat cooker, while water is drawn from the river basin, then cleaned and returned to nature after use.
Lights made from local soil fill rooms with light embodying the color of the surrounding earth, and plaster made from a hemp charcoal/EM bacteria mixture provides healthy, comfortable spaces by preventing putrefactive bacteria. - Design Challenge
- While the global pursuit of sustainability is highly commendable, in architecture it is generally understood as an effort to reduce negative impacts rather than to generate positive ones. This assumption stems from viewing architecture as an isolated object. In reality, every building site already contains an existing ecosystem. The project sought ways for architecture to connect with and contribute to the regeneration of that ecosystem.
It was an unprecedented challenge, and until measurable results began to appear, the process relied on careful observation, research, and repeated trial and error. In Japan, very few practitioners have direct experience with this construction method. Drawing from their knowledge, the team gradually developed its own methodology. Communicating appropriate instructions to local craftspeople was also a significant task.
After completion, however, positive outcomes began to emerge, as described earlier, and verification of the method is still ongoing. - Research
- Regenerative architecture is a method of building that works with soil microorganisms, supporting healthier conditions for surrounding plant life. It applies, in a contemporary way, traditional Japanese civil engineering knowledge that has largely been forgotten.
To examine the effectiveness of this approach, three methods were used.
First, the construction site itself was deliberately selected. The building was placed on the most degraded and depleted area within the property. The land was overgrown with weeds to the point that it was difficult to enter, mosquitoes were abundant, and the trees were weak, with thinning trunks and falling leaves. The structure was positioned in close relationship to these struggling trees. After construction, the trees showed clear signs of recovery and renewed vitality.
Second, in order to visualize the underground mycelial network, experiments were conducted that identified the presence of electrical activity within the soil. Evidence indicated that trees on either side of the building were connected through electrical signals transmitted underground.
Third, microbial diversity was analyzed. Soil samples were collected both from the surrounding forest—where no intervention had taken place—and from the center of the Sumu site. The results showed that microbial diversity at Sumu was nearly three times greater than that of the surrounding untreated forest.
These findings suggest that human involvement can contribute to ecological enrichment. Beyond architectural technique, this approach may also influence how humanity understands its role within the Earth’s living systems. - Inspiration
- Sumu is a place for tending to nature while reflecting on values.
It applies Regenerative architecture, a new approach developed by the designers that combines traditional Japanese civil engineering with contemporary technology.
Going beyond simply preserving nature, key considerations in the design are:
1. Designing the underground environment
2. Orientating buildings based on in-depth understanding of water and air flows
3. Creating an ongoing connection with nature through architecture - Project Duration
- Duration：
The project began in 2020, with the first phase of construction expected to be completed in 2022. Since then, the project has continued to expand its scope of activities, including the expansion of the deck, regenerative activities, and soft aspects such as education.
Location: Yakushima island, Kagoshima, Japan - Operation Flow
- True to its concept of making a positive impact by living among nature, Sumu residents adopt a “regenerative lifestyle” that enhances the environment through everyday activities, from collecting driftwood for use as firewood to clearing grass to allow cool air to flow through in a way that benefits the landscape.
Sumu's design changes our relationship with nature. It enables residents to discover new possibilities for interacting with nature and adapt the way they think and act, building relationships with nature that transcend generations. Its unique approach has the potential to accelerate environmental initiatives if more widely applied. - Image Credits
- Photo: Rui Nishi
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