Komazawa Daigaku Isiteshi Sesitimela by Uds Ltd.

Komazawa Daigaku Isiteshi Sesitimela by Uds Ltd. is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award in Ukudizayina Ezokwakha, Izakhiwo Nezinhlaka Competition Category.

IsilivaEzokwakha· 2026

Komazawa Daigaku Isiteshi Sesitimela

by Uds Ltd.

Client: UDS Ltd.

Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award Winner in Ezokwakha Category

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The Design

About Komazawa Daigaku Isiteshi Sesitimela

IKomazawa Daigaku yisiteshi sesitimela esivuselelwe esitholakala ngaphansi kwePaki iKomazawa eSetagaya, eTokyo. Umqondo othi Ngaphansi Kwepaki (Under the Park) uphatha indawo yokuhamba engaphansi komhlaba njengezimpande kanti izakhiwo zokuphuma njengezihlahla ezingophawu. Izingxenye zesiteshi zihlelwe ngezikhathi ezintathu ezihlukene: imisebenzi yomhlaba engunaphakade, izihlahla ezigugayo namacembe avuselelwayo. Amathayela akhona kanye nezindawo zaphansi ze-terrazzo kwagcinwa ukuze kuncishiswe imfucuza, kwasetshenziswa nokhuni lwasekhaya. Ukupendwa kophahla ngokusansimbi kudala umthelela wokukhanya okuchachambayo. Amabhentshi namakhawunta amema abantu ukuba baphumule futhi bahlangane.

The Recognition

About the Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award

Komazawa Daigaku Isiteshi Sesitimela iwinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award, ukwaziswa okuhloniphekile ngokungajwayelekile okunikezwa imiklamo esezingeni eliphezulu, ebukekayo nethinta kakhulu. Abawinile beSiliva yimisebenzi egqamile kakhulu nedala kakhulu ebonisa ubungcweti obuphawulekayo, italente nobuhlakani babaklami babo. Komazawa Daigaku Isiteshi Sesitimela ilindeleke ukuba ibe ngumsebenzi omuhle wesibonelo, onobungcweti obuphawulekayo nezinto ezintsha ezijulile. Lo mklamo owinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award uyinto entsha ebonakala kakhulu nethakazelisayo esiza futhi isunduza imingcele yobuciko, isayensi, ukuklama nobuchwepheshe. Komazawa Daigaku Isiteshi Sesitimela iyinto enomhawu omkhulu kuyo evusa izifiso, ilethe imizwa emihle futhi ivuse ukumangala nokuxakeka.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This project's uniqueness is its "Under the Park" concept, which creates a consistent narrative for the entire space: the underground concourse is envisioned as the town's "roots," and the buildings as "symbolic trees." Furthermore, a unique design methodology redefines the station via three timescales: "permanent earthworks," "aging Trees," and "renewing leaves." This presents a new vision for an adaptable station designed to be loved long-term.
Dimensions & Packaging: Total Floor Area:
Underground Station Concourse: Approx. 6,500 sqm (RC structure, 2 floors below ground)
East Exit Building: 564.34 sqm (RC structure, 4 stories above ground)
West Exit Building 1: 398.58 sqm (Steel structure, 2 stories above ground)
West Exit Building 2: 346.80 sqm (Timber and partial RC structure, 4 stories above ground, 2 floors below ground)
Tags: Renovation, Station, Sustainability, Timber, AdaptiveReuse, Narrative, PublicSpace, Biophilic, Placemaking, Tokyo
Production Technology: This project’s realization is driven by sustainability. We minimized waste by preserving existing tiles and terrazzo floors, while using domestic timber for its warmth and environmental benefits. The West Exit building, in a fire protection district, pioneers advanced timber tech like LVL fire-resistant coating and a two-way rigid-frame structure (rare in Japan). A special metallic ceiling coating creates a unique komorebi (dappled sunlight) effect.
Design Challenge: Our greatest challenge was maintaining the consistency of the "Under the Park" concept across a four-year project with diverse work areas and many stakeholders. Amidst fragmented on-site decisions, our "Earthworks, Trees, and Leaves" design guideline served as the core guiding principle to return to. Additionally, realizing a timber station building in a fire protection district was a major external challenge, requiring us to overcome strict legal regulations and technical constraints.
Research: This practical research aimed to translate the given "Under the Park" concept into a sustainable space, creating new value for aging infrastructure. Our methodology was to develop the "Earthworks, Trees, and Leaves" model, which classifies station components by three timescales. Based on this model, we selected materials and composed the space, prototyping advanced timber technology in one building. The expected social impact is increased user dwell time, fostering affection for the station.
Inspiration: The primary source of inspiration for this project is its very location: "under Komazawa Park." We were strongly motivated by the desire to transform the aging, inorganic underground space—a place people have used daily for over 45 years—into a more comfortable and cherished environment. Therefore, we placed the "park," a quintessential landscape shared by all local residents, at the core of our concept. We envisioned that just as the trees in the park extend their roots underground to support their lush forms above, the station could also become like a living organism—absorbing, nurturing, and radiating the town's vitality. This poetic vision of "Under the Park" became the driving force behind the entire design.
Project Duration: This project was implemented at Komazawa-daigaku Station in Setagaya, Tokyo, as the first phase of the "Green Under Ground" renewal project by Tokyu Railways Co., Ltd. The schematic design phase began in August 2020, and the overall construction period for the station runs from July 2020 to March 2025. Completion is on April 1, 2025.
Operation Flow: Visitors are guided by the "Symbolic Tree"-like station buildings into the "Under the Park" world. Descending warm, trunk-like staircases, a space unfolds resembling the roots of a park, seemingly bathed in dappled sunlight. This functions not merely as a path to the trains, but as a "garden" for people to spend time as they wish. Intentionally placed benches and counters invite users to linger, meet or rest, generating a new, personal interaction with the station itself.
Team Members: Designer: Keiichi Ito
Designer: Yayoi Sato
Designer: Seshiro Honda
Graphic Designer: Yutaro Sakurai
Image Credits: Image #1 : TOKYU CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD., 2025
Optional Image #1 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #2 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #3 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #4 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025
Optional Image #5 : Photographer Shinsui Ohara, 2025