Site
Location:Wakayama, Japan

Building
Use:laboratory

Instead of modifying the existing environment, 
we proposed a research institute 
that floats the facility softly on the terrain and is created from the culture and nature of whales.


By gently floating a tray-shaped RC slab on the ground and gently covering it 
with a roof made of locally produced wood, it has a double wooden lattice structure.
The surface strength and air layer are secured. 
The roof is composed of a non-combustible tent film treated with fluororesin, 
and the facility is filled with soft natural light.
The trees glimpsed through the gaps in the grid, the horizon beyond, 
and the tides blur the boundary between the building and nature.

Cetaceans are worthy creatures that are of great interest both at home and abroad.
We believe that this institute should be considered from a global perspective, 
and we collaborate with overseas land architects to grasp proposals from a more bird's-eye view.
We considered a design process in which landscape and architecture are designed in an integrated manner.