Forest Archetype Primary Function: Ilé by Genta Takano is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ìkọ́lé, Ilé àti Ètò Competition Category.
IdẹÌkọ́lé· 2026
Forest Archetype Primary Function: Ilé
by Genta Takano
Client: Gla
Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award Winner in Ìkọ́lé Category
Verified Award Winner
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About Forest Archetype Primary Function: Ilé
Book Text: Forest Archetype jẹ́ iṣẹ́ àkànṣe ibùgbé tí ó ń yí ètò àyè igbó padà sí ọ̀nà ìkọ́lé tí ó ní ìpín. A ṣètò àpẹrẹ náà nípasẹ̀ ètò ìkọ́lé olópò ìpele dípò ìpín yàrá àtọwọ́dọ́wọ́. Àwọn ohun èlò ìkọ́lé tí ó dúró gangan ń ṣàlàyé ìṣíkiri àti àwọn iṣẹ́ nígbà tí wọ́n ń mú ìtẹ̀síwájú ìríran dúró káàkiri inú ilé. Àkójọpọ̀ olópò ìpele yìí ń dá àwọn ìho ṣíṣí àti àwọn àyè ológbé-ìta tí ó ń ti ìlò ojoojúmọ́ tí ó rọrùn láti yí padà lẹ́yìn. Nípasẹ̀ ọgbọ́n ìkọ́lé tí ó hàn kedere àti ìtòlẹ́sẹẹsẹ àyè, ilé náà ń ní ọrọ̀ àti ìṣílẹ̀kùn nígbà tí ó ṣì ń tọ́jú ara rẹ̀ nínú ìwọ̀n.
The Recognition
About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award
Forest Archetype Primary Function: Ilé jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ olókìkí gan-an tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe tó tayọ tí wọ́n yàtọ̀ nípasẹ̀ ìṣẹ̀dá, àrékérekè àti ọgbọ́n inú. Àwọn olùborí Idẹ jẹ́ àwọn ohun èlò tó ní ìjáfáfá gan-an tí wọ́n sì ní ìṣẹ̀dá tó yani lẹ́nu tí wọ́n ń ṣe ẹ̀rí ìrírí gbígbòòrò, ìrònú àti ọgbọ́n àwọn olùṣàwòṣe wọn. A retí pé Forest Archetype Primary Function: Ilé yóò jẹ́ ohun tí a kà sí gidigidi, tí a gbóríyìn fún tí a sì nífẹ̀ẹ́, tó jẹ́ ti ọ̀jáfáfá lọ́nà tó ṣe pàtàkì tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award yìí ń kó àwọn ọ̀nà tó dára jùlọ nínú iṣẹ́ ọnà, sáyẹ́ǹsì, àwòṣe àti ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ jọ, ó sì tayọ nítorí àfiyèsí rẹ̀ sí àwọn àlàyé kékeré. Forest Archetype Primary Function: Ilé ń tẹ́ àwọn ohun tí a nílò lọ́rùn lọ́nà àgbàyanu, ó ń fọwọ́ kan àwọn ìfẹ́ inú, ó ń gbà ọkàn ó sì ń fa ìfẹ́ láti mọ̀ mọ́ra.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This project is a residential building that reinterprets the spatial structure of a forest within a compact domestic setting.
Instead of relying on conventional room divisions, the house is organized through a layered structural system that integrates architecture and built in furniture.
Large, trunk like elements form the spatial backbone of the house, enabling diverse activities and visual connections.
By combining structural clarity with spatial flexibility, the design achieves richness and openness while remaining restrained in scale. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Number of floors: 2 above ground
Eaves height: 5885mm
Maximum height: 6386mm
Site area: 1293.00m2
Building area: 85.11m2
(Building coverage ratio: 6.58%, allowable: 60%)
Total floor area: 124.14m2
(Floor area ratio: 9.60%, allowable: 200%)
First floor area: 72.16m2 Second floor area: 51.98m2
Construction type: Timber structure - Tags
- house, architecture, forest, spatial structure, timber
- Production Technology
- The ceiling above the central void was finished with a low gloss metallic surface to control light reflection and enhance spatial depth.
This surface subtly reflects changes in daylight and surrounding vegetation throughout the seasons, contributing to environmental continuity without direct visual imitation.
Large suspended panels beneath the ceiling were designed as abstracted elements derived from surrounding trees, using simplified geometry and controlled spacing.
These elements modulate light, views, and scale, creating differentiated spatial conditions through material treatment rather than enclosure. - Design Challenge
- The primary challenge was balancing continuity with the forest while maintaining architectural clarity and structural stability.
From a creative perspective, the project required reconciling Japanese spatial traditions, such as the fragmentation of small rooms, with contemporary residential needs.
From a technical standpoint, ensuring sufficient structural performance in a timber building led to the adoption of a reinforced frame using aramid fiber sheets to address lateral forces.
Material selection was also critical, as silver steel surfaces were carefully introduced to reflect seasonal light without overwhelming the interior.
These challenges required close coordination between design intent, structural constraints, and construction feasibility. - Research
- This project is based on design research exploring residential architecture adjacent to natural forests.
The objective was to understand how built space can coexist with a forest while maintaining continuity rather than separation.
The methodology involved on-site observation, spatial analysis, and iterative design testing.
Tools included site walks, sketches, physical models, and full-scale spatial studies.
The primary participants were the architect and the future occupants.
The result was a four layered spatial system that aligns architectural elements with the scale of trees.
This research demonstrates how architectural structure can enhance daily comfort and foster a closer relationship between living space and surrounding nature. - Inspiration
- This project was inspired by repeated observations of a forest adjacent to the site.
Through walking and spending time within this environment, I became aware of its spatial order, formed by the vertical presence of trees and their layered relationships.
Rather than imitating the forest as a natural form, the design seeks to abstract its vitality into a clear architectural system.
This led to the development of large, trunk like structural elements arranged in layered compositions, responding to the trees along the cliff and translating their spatial logic into architecture. - Project Duration
- The project was completed in 2017 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
- Operation Flow
- The house is experienced through movement rather than fixed rooms.
As occupants walk through the interior, the layered walls gradually align with the scale and rhythm of the surrounding trees.
This creates a continuous flow between inside and outside, where built elements and natural scenery visually overlap.
Living within the house involves moving through changing degrees of openness, light, and enclosure.
This interaction allows daily activities to unfold naturally, producing a calm and immersive environment that feels connected to the adjacent forest rather than separated from it. - Image Credits
- GLA
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