Between Forest and Light Te Hoahoa Rōpū o Roto mō te Kāinga Noho by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Rino in Hoahoa Roto Whare me te Whakaaturanga Competition Category.
RinoRoto Whare· 2026
Between Forest and Light Te Hoahoa Rōpū o Roto mō te Kāinga Noho
by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan
Client: MisoSoupDesign
A' Design Award Rino Winner in Roto Whare Category
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- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #180659
The Design
About Between Forest and Light Te Hoahoa Rōpū o Roto mō te Kāinga Noho
Ko Between Forest and Light te hoahoa o roto o tētahi whare noho motuhake e whā ngā papa, i whakaritea kia hono ai ngā mahi o te kāinga ki te taiao huri noa. Ka whakatakotoria e te hoahoa ngā wāhi noho tahi me ngā wāhi motuhake ki te ahunga poutū, kia hāngai ai ia papa ki ngā tirohanga motuhake me ngā āhuatanga o te māramatanga o te rā. Mā te kōhatu, te rākau, me te karaihe e tautuhi ngā whakawhitinga i waenga i ngā wāhi, ā, e whakarite hoki i te pūatatanga. Mā ngā rama autaki me ngā pūnaha huna e noho mahea ai ngā mata. Ka whakanuia e te hoahoa te raupapa ā-wāhi, te whakaahua tirohanga, me te whakahaere o te māramatanga kia uru mai ai te taiao ngahere ki te noho o ia rā.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Rino
Ko Between Forest and Light Te Hoahoa Rōpū o Roto mō te Kāinga Noho te toa o te A' Design Award Rino, he whakaaetanga whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa pai e whakatutuki ana i ngā hiahia ngaio me te ahumahi e tūmanakohia ana mai i ngā mahi kua hoahoatia pai. Ko ngā toa Rino e whakaatu ana i te pukenga nui, te tohungatanga teitei, te māramatanga mātanga me te kaha auaha o ō rātou kaihanga. E tūmanakohia ana ko Between Forest and Light Te Hoahoa Rōpū o Roto mō te Kāinga Noho he mahi whakanuia, whakamīharotia, aroha nui, he whaihua, he auaha hoki. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Rino e whakakotahi ana i ngā tikanga pai rawa o te ahumahi, ā, he āhuatanga hangarau pūkenga tōna e hono ana ki te mōhio me te pūmanawa. E whakahonoretia ana a Between Forest and Light Te Hoahoa Rōpū o Roto mō te Kāinga Noho mō tōna tōtika, ā, i hoahoatia hei whakapai ake i te kounga o te oranga me te āwhina i te ao kia pai ake.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Between Forest and Light reinterprets vertical residential living as a layered landscape. Each floor offers a distinct relationship with nature through controlled transparency, framed views, and material variation. Curved stone walls, filtered glazing, and integrated lighting soften spatial transitions, creating a continuous yet diverse living experience that evolves from ground to top floor.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Project Type: Private Residence
Location: Xindian District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Building Height: 4 stories
Scope: Interior Design
Completion Year: 2021 - Tags
- Residential interior, Vertical living, Natural light, Forest view, Material layering
- Production Technology
- The project integrates custom stone cladding, wood panel systems, and precision glass partitions to achieve seamless transitions between spaces. Indirect lighting, concealed mechanical systems, and bespoke furniture elements are carefully coordinated to maintain visual clarity. Natural materials were selected for durability, aging quality, and their ability to enhance light reflection and spatial depth.
- Design Challenge
- The primary challenge was designing a vertical residence that maintains spatial coherence while responding to varied programmatic needs across four levels. Another key challenge was balancing openness to the surrounding forest with privacy, environmental comfort, and structural constraints, while ensuring daylight penetration throughout the deep interior spaces.
- Research
- This project investigates how vertical residential interiors can mediate the relationship between dense natural environments and contemporary domestic living. Through a four-story private residence, the design explores spatial sequencing, material articulation, and daylight modulation as tools to integrate forest landscapes into everyday life. The research focuses on how framed views, controlled transparency, and layered material systems influence occupants’ perception of space, privacy, and environmental continuity. By organizing programs vertically and calibrating light conditions on each level, the project proposes a residential model that balances openness and enclosure while enhancing long-term spatial comfort and sensory engagement with nature.
- Inspiration
- The project is inspired by the site’s hillside setting and dense greenery. Rather than treating nature as a backdrop, the design frames forest views as an integral spatial element. Light, shadow, and seasonal changes are incorporated into daily life, allowing residents to experience nature from multiple perspectives across different floors.
- Project Duration
- Design 2020 - 2021
Construction 2021 - 2022
Completion 2022 - Operation Flow
- Daily movement unfolds vertically from public to private spaces. The ground floor connects communal living areas to the garden, while upper levels gradually shift toward more intimate functions. Visual connections between floors and outdoor views guide circulation, allowing residents to experience changing light conditions and forest scenery as part of everyday routines.
- Team Members
- Daisuke Nagatomo
Minnie Jan
Daniel Wang
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