Ina, Nagano, Japan
Atelier Temma, an architectural firm widely known for emphasizing traditional Japanese culture, was appointed to design the Forest Corporation Head Office.
The project is full of ideas for working styles born from a continuing pursuit of “home” that faces daily life.
This project was short-listed for a 2021 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
This head office was built by a construction company specializing in homes and harmonizes with the forest surrounded by 360°of the Shinshu mountains along the ridgeline of Japan’s Northern Alps and the Southern Alps.
The motif is tatami and doma.
This office experiments with letting workers go barefoot, which returns to the traditional Japanese custom of living life with shoes removed.
Drawing much inspiration from nature, this workspace experiments with using doma which bring richness to life as a middle ground between indoors and outdoors.
The design incorporates generous light and the greenery of the forest and has boldly placed openings allowing for the changing of the light from morning to evening as well as shifts in the way air flows as the seasons change.
This has created a place where people can sense the passage of time as the day flows by and feel the changing seasons in the breeze touching their skin.
The external design is an attempt to keep the structure rooted in the surrounding land by creating a low form standing peacefully in the midst of the forest.
In contrast, the interior space aims to create a sense of openness and depth, making use of the surrounding land’s natural height differences and undulation.
The office features the textures of abundant natural materials, and the fine hand-craftsmanship exudes quality through the elaborate details of the space, creating a workplace that is both comfortable and stress-relieving.
Moreover, the presentation room offers a cutting-edge round monitor system, making it a space that allows for dynamic interaction with the five senses.
Through this new office space creation project, the architects hope to start a ripple effect across workplaces, where many people spend so much of their lives.
Project: Forest Corporation Head Office
Architects: Atelier Temma Co., Ltd.
Client: Forest Corporation
Contractor: Forest Corporation
Photographers: Atsushi Nakamichi (Nacása & Partners Inc.)
