Cozticteocuitlatl Calchihualiztli · 2026
Higeta Building Hueyi Tequitiloyan Calli
- Mahuizolli A' Design Award Cozticteocuitlatl 2026 in Calchihualiztli
- CLIENT: Higeta Shoyu Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 40,488
- Verification code 4D033E55F9 · Verify this award
Colors
About Higeta Building Hueyi Tequitiloyan Calli
Higeta Calli ce chicome tlamamanalli hueyi tequitiloyan calli in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, omochihchiuh ipampa ce huehcauh soya iayo chihuani. Inin calli, tlachihchiuhtli ica tepozyollo cemento, quiyahualoa ce tlaquentli ica anodizado aluminio louvers, motlalihqueh ica 300 mm intzalan. In louvers imalacacholiz momapatla inic quitzacuilia tonalli in huitz sudoeste ihuan inic quimalhuia in ichtacayotl; in ixco quilnamiqui ce trigo milli molinia ipan ehecatl. Ce huel tliltic tepamitl tlapalli quichicahua in cehualli ihuan quinezcayotia in xocoliztli (fermentación). Icalihtic, ce tlanepantla tlahuil ithualli quicalaquia tonalli ipan in pitzahuac tlamachiyotl ihuan quipalehuia in xihuitl ehecatl papatlaliztli.
About the Mahuizolli A' Design Award Cozticteocuitlatl
Higeta Building Hueyi Tequitiloyan Calli ca in quicuic in Mahuizolli A' Design Award Cozticteocuitlatl, huel mahuiztic tlamahuizoliztli tlen momaca in achtopa, huel cualli ihuan mahuiztic tlachihualli. In quicuicah Cozticteocuitlatl ca cenca yancuic, tlachiyani ihuan tlanextic tlachihualli in quinextia in tlamatiliztli ihuan toltecayotl. Ca quinequi in Higeta Building Hueyi Tequitiloyan Calli quitlalizque yancuic tlamantli ihuan quimacazque tlazohtli. Ni dizayno in quicuic Cozticteocuitlatl ca mahuiztic tlamantli in quihuelitia in toltecayotl, tlamatiliztli, dizayno ihuan teknolohia. Higeta Building Hueyi Tequitiloyan Calli quiyolchicahua ihuan quipaquiltia in tlacah.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Founded in 1616, Higeta pioneered adding wheat in 1697, shaping the prototype of koikuchi soy sauce at the root of Japan's cuisine. Honored by the Edo shogunate and later recognized by the Imperial Household, its heritage is translated into architecture. This 7-story RC headquarters in Nihonbashi uses anodized aluminum louvers at 300 mm pitch, with variable angles to cut southwest sun, protect privacy, and shimmer like a wheat field over deep black walls that evoke fermentation.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 7-story reinforced-concrete headquarters in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Site area 327.00 sqm; building area 260.32 sqm; total floor area 1,722.03 sqm. Height 29.085 m; eaves 27.720 m; floor-to-floor 3.95 m; ceiling 2.70 m. Zoning: commercial; front road width 11 m. Environmental device: anodized aluminum louver screen at 300 mm pitch with variable angles for solar control and privacy. A central light court supports daylight penetration and seasonal natural ventilation.
- Tags
- Headquarters, Architecture, Environmental facade, Aluminum louvers, Solar shading, Nihonbashi, Cultural heritage, Koikuchi soy sauce, Wheat motif, Urban identity
- Production Technology
- Facade: electrolytically colored aluminum louvers, bead-blasted then anodized, for a warm, durable sheen. Each louver is 50 mm (face) x 170 mm (depth) x 3,935 mm (height), set at 300 mm pitch with carefully varied angles. Angled plates are bolted to welded channel members for precision and cost control. Louvers continue across operable entrance doors so the facade reads as one layer. Black elastic spray coating deepens shadows and recalls fermentation richness.
- Design Challenge
- Challenge: on a narrow, deep Nihonbashi site, create a strong symbol while cutting southwest sun and protecting privacy for adjacent housing. The facade could not be heavy or closed. Identity, comfort, and buildability were unified into one continuous louver layer, tuned in pitch and angle as a climate filter. Another challenge was cultural translation: to show global jurors that Japan's everyday taste grew from Higeta's 1697 wheat innovation. History becomes geometry, shadow, and airflow.
- Research
- Type of Research: design research. Objective: translate Higeta's 1697 wheat innovation into facade performance and urban identity. Method: louver-angle studies and wind-inspired curvature refinement; continuity tests for joints and operable doors. Tools: BIM model and CFD airflow simulation for ventilation via the light court and operable openings. Result/Impact: a unified louver screen delivering shading, privacy, daylight, and seasonal ventilation, showing heritage can be performance.
- Inspiration
- The motif is wheat, introduced by Higeta in 1697 to define koikuchi soy sauce. We made cultural memory measurable: the facade reads as a wheat field swaying in a "wind of memory" across Nihonbashi. Louver rhythm and gentle undulation were refined through computational studies so invisible forces-wind, time, and fermentation-can be felt as geometry, light, and shadow, while also delivering real shading and privacy.
- Project Duration
- Location: Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan (2-3 Nihonbashi Koami-cho). Design: Mar 2023-Dec 2023. Construction: Feb 2024-May 2025. A 7-story RC headquarters on a narrow, deep urban lot in a commercial zone, facing an 11 m road. It presents a civic-scale facade that communicates the cultural origin of koikuchi soy sauce, born from Higeta's 1697 wheat innovation.
- Operation Flow
- From the street, the headquarters reads as a single louvered surface; shifting shadows suggest wheat heads in wind. The variable-angle screen filters southwest sun and sightlines, improving comfort for occupants and neighbors. Inside, a central light court draws daylight deep into the narrow plan. Operable windows on the north/south walls and at the court enable seasonal natural ventilation, supported by BIM-based airflow simulations.
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Nobuaki Miyashita, 2025.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Nobuaki Miyashita, Higeta Building, 2025.
Image #2: Photographer Nobuaki Miyashita, Higeta Building, 2025.
Image #3: Photographer Nobuaki Miyashita, Higeta Building, 2025.
Image #4: Photographer Nobuaki Miyashita, Higeta Building, 2025.
Image #5: Photographer Nobuaki Miyashita, Higeta Building, 2025.
