Between Forest and Light Igishushanyo cy'Imbere mu Nzu yo Guturamo by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan

Between Forest and Light Igishushanyo cy'Imbere mu Nzu yo Guturamo by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cy'icyuma in Igishushanyo cy'Imbere y'Inyubako Competition Category.

IcyumaImbere y'Inyubako· 2026

Between Forest and Light Igishushanyo cy'Imbere mu Nzu yo Guturamo

by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan

Client: MisoSoupDesign

Igihembo cya A' Design Award cy'icyuma Winner in Imbere y'Inyubako Category

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The Design

About Between Forest and Light Igishushanyo cy'Imbere mu Nzu yo Guturamo

Between Forest and Light ni igishushanyo cy'imbere cy'inzu bwite y'amagorofa ane yateguwe kugira ngo ihuze imirimo yo mu rugo n'ahantu nyaburanga hayikikije. Imiterere y'inzu ishyira ahantu rusange n'ah'ubwigunge mu buryo buzamuka hejuru, bigatuma buri gorofa ihura n'ibyerekwa byihariye ndetse n'urumuri rw'amanywa. Amabuye, ibiti n'ibirahure bigena aho hantu hamwe hahurira n'ahandi kandi bikagenzura uko ahantu hagaragarira. Urumuri rutaziguye hamwe na sisitemu zihishe bituma hejuru y'ibintu bigumana isuku n'urutonde. Iki gishushanyo gishimangira gukurikirana kw'imyanya, gushushanya ibyerekwa, no kugenzura urumuri kugira ngo ishyamba rikikije rizanwe mu buzima bwa buri munsi.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cy'icyuma

Between Forest and Light Igishushanyo cy'Imbere mu Nzu yo Guturamo ni uwegukanye Igihembo cya A' Design Award cy'icyuma, ishimwe ry'agaciro ritangwa ku bishushanyo byiza bihuza ibyo umwuga n'inganda bikeneye ku bihangano byashushanyijwe neza. Abegukanye icyuma bagaragaza ubuhanga bukomeye, ubumenyi bwihariye, imyumvire y'inzobere n'ubushobozi bwo guhanga bw'ababikoze. Between Forest and Light Igishushanyo cy'Imbere mu Nzu yo Guturamo biteganyijwe ko izaba igihangano cyubahwa, gishimwa kandi gikundwa, gifatika kandi gifite udushya. Iki gishushanyo cyegukanye icyuma gihuza uburyo bwiza bukoreshwa mu nganda kandi gifite ibiranga bya tekiniki bifite ubushobozi, bifatanye n'ubumenyi n'impano. Between Forest and Light Igishushanyo cy'Imbere mu Nzu yo Guturamo yubahwa kubera gukora neza, kandi yashushanyijwe kugira ngo inoze ubuzima, ifashe gutuma isi iba nziza.

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