Ko te hoahoa Amami House Whare nā Kazunori Sakai he kaitoa whakahirahira o te 2026 A' Design Award Hiriwa i te Wāhanga Whakataetae Hoahoa Waihanga, Whare me te Hanganga.
HiriwaWaihanga· 2026
Amami House Whare
Kiritaki: Sakai Architects
Kaitoa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa i te Wāhanga Waihanga
Kaitoa Tohu Manatokohia
Manatokohia te Tūnga Tohu mō #177153Te Hoahoa
Mō Amami House Whare
Ko Amami House he kāinga whakarite-ā-whare anō i te Motu o Amami, Hapani, i whakamaheretia mō tētahi whānau tokowhā. He āhuarangi wera, haumākū tō te motu, he iti hoki te taumata o te iraruke o te rā. Ka tautoko te whare i te noho whakamarie kāore he whirinakitanga ki te mātiti hiko, ki te pūrere whakamātao rānei. Mā ngā rautaki tāmi, pēnei i te hauhau māori, te whakamāramatanga ā-rā me te taupā werawera, e whakaiti ai te hiahia ki ngā pūnaha ā-miihini. Kua whakahoutia te āhua tuanui tuku iho hip-and-gable ki ngā āhuatanga whakahaere o nāianei. Mā tētahi whakamahana wai ā-rā, tētahi pūnaha wairākau me tētahi māra kāinga e whakaoti ai tētahi porowhita iti o te whakarite-ā-whare anō.
Te Whakamihi
Mō te A' Design Award Hiriwa
Ko Amami House Whare te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Amami House Whare he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko Amami House Whare he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.
I Muri i te Hoahoa
Kete Pāpāho
Ngā whakamihi, ngā mema o te rōpū me ngā taipitopito hangarau i whakaratohia e te kaihoahoa.
- Āhuatanga Motuhake
- Located on Amami Island, an island with a hot and humid climate and among the lowest levels of solar radiation in Japan, this self-sufficient house investigates how a family of four can live comfortably without dependence on the power grid or air conditioning.
Rooted in the island’s unique climate and culture, the design reinterprets vernacular architecture through passive strategies, including natural ventilation, daylighting, and insulation, thereby minimizing reliance on mechanical systems.
The project presents a sustainable model of living in harmony with nature, nurturing resilience, and quietly redefining what it means to dwell in the modern world. - Inenga & Pēketanga
- A vacuum-tube solar water heater installed on the east-facing roof supplies domestic hot water, reaching 60 to 97 degrees Celsius in summer and around 30 degrees in winter. Only minimal backup from a gas heater is needed, reducing gas consumption to less than half of that in the family’s previous rental home. Groundwater use was initially considered, but high iron content led to the adoption of a public water supply for greater reliability. The sauna is heated with wood repurposed from local construction offcuts, creating a circular resource exchange with nearby builders. A composting system turns kitchen waste into fertilizer for the home garden, where vegetables grown on-site return to the dining table, forming a small yet tangible cycle of self-sufficiency.
- Tūtohu
- Off-grid housing, Passive design, Self-sufficient living, Vernacular architecture, Japan, Sustainable architecture, Resilient design, Energy autonomy, Community living, Climate-responsive design
- Hangarau Whakanao
- Amami is often called the “Island of Yui,” known for its deeply interwoven social ties. Traditional celebrations for children’s milestones often bring together more than 80 relatives and neighbors, reflecting a collective culture where child-rearing is shared across families and the wider community, and homes have historically functioned as both private and communal spaces. In recent years, however, such practices have diminished due to nuclear families, standardized housing, and the impact of the pandemic. This house responds by reintroducing openness and generosity into the domestic realm, creating spaces where people can naturally gather and share time together, reviving and sustaining the island’s cultural traditions.
- Wero Hoahoa
- The hardest part was designing a truly self-sufficient house in one of Japan’s most demanding climates—hot, humid, and with limited solar radiation—while removing dependence on the power grid and air conditioning. Balancing comfort and resilience required continuous testing of passive strategies, energy autonomy, and spatial composition, with every decision responding precisely to local climate data. Equally challenging was integrating cultural elements such as the dispersed house form, the openness of yui community ties, and traditional roof expressions into a contemporary language sustaining both environmental and communal life.
- Whakaaweawe
- Inspired by the vernacular landscapes of Amami, where corrugated metal roofs are commonly seen across local settlements, the design inherits the traditional hip-and-gable roof form and integrates contemporary performance features such as insulation, ventilation, and natural lighting. Through this synthesis, the project reinterprets and reconstructs the roof as a new architectural typology that connects local identity with modern functionality.
- Roanga o te Kaupapa
- Design Period: February 2018 – December 2023
Construction Period: January 2024 – August 2024
Amami island, KAGOSHIMA, JAPAN. - Rerenga Mahi
- The project gently explores a sustainable way of living in harmony with the natural environment. Embracing the unique climate and culture of the southern islands, it quietly reexamines what it means to dwell in the modern age.
- Ngā Mema o te Rōpū
- KAZUNORI SAKAI（ARCHITECT)
MASAYUKI TAKATA (Structural Engineer)
TOMOHIRO URATA (Garden Designer)
KAZUHIKO HANAI (Lighting Designer)
KAZUNORI KAWAGUCHI (Main Contractor)
MAKOTO TANAKA (Carpenter)
MICHIHIKO MINESHIMA (Electrical Contractor)
YASUNORI SAKAE (Plumbing Contractor） - Whakamana Whakaahua
- TOSHIHISA ISHII
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