Inspiration from origami, shells and traditional Japanese granaries
Atelier TEKUTO, Amami Design Firm
DenPaku The Beachfront MIJORA is a collection of villa style tourist accommodations, designed by Yasuhiro “Hiro” Yamashita of Atelier TEKUTO. Located along a beach on two separate plots of land, each of the 13 villas boasts a breathtaking view of the sea. The sites are in Amami Oshima, a subtropical island in southern Japan, which is listed as a UNESCO natural heritage site candidate. Though lush in nature and not too commercialized, they are easily accessible; only 10 minute-drive from Amami airport which has daily direct flights from several major cities.
The villas are composed of bold origami-like concrete structure topped with wooden roofs. The characteristic roof / ceiling design using exposed rafters is an homage to vernacular houses and traditional raised granaries of the island, while the overall shape of the roofs takes inspiration from limpet shells commonly found on Amamian beaches.
1. SITE 1
Under the wooden ceiling, the floor-to-ceiling window defines the space, presenting the seascape as an ever-changing piece of art. The size of the window was determined by the largest glass sheet possible to ship to Amami.
Other elements were carefully chosen to be minimalistic as possible, in order to enhance the sense of oneness with nature.
There are five different floor plans to meet individual needs and likings. Each villa has its own charm, even villas with the same floor plans has different moods, according to the position and the way the branches of screw-pine trees frame the view.
2. SITE 2
The villas belong to a brand of tourist accommodations, DenPaku (伝泊), founded by the architect. DenPaku first started renovating vacant traditional houses and converting them into lodging facilities, aiming to pass down the local traditional / legendary architecture, villages and culture to future generations. The brand provides not only places for tourists to stay, but also elder care facilities and immersive activities for tourists to interact with local people, young and old alike. It is an ongoing project to revitalize the local community, involving tourists and the locals, in a sustainable way.
In the near future, the architect and the managing company aspires to add an intimate outdoor gathering space, Mijora Plaza, among the villas. It will be a place where the guests and the locals come together and interact; after all, that is the most important mission of DenPaku.
Project: DenPaku The Beachfront MIJORA / Location: Kamesaki988-1, Midoriya 861-4, Soto Kaneku, Kasari-cho, Amami City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan / Architects: Atelier TEKUTO, Amami Design Firm / Architect in charge: Yasuhiro Yamashita / Design team: Atelier TEKUTO – Yasuhiro Yamashita, Ben Matsuno, Kazuma Kurita / Contruction management: Yamaguchi Construction LLC, Marusan Kensetsu Kogyo Co., Ltd. / Use: tourist accommodation / Site area: 894.33m²(Kamesaki), 1,092.21m²(Midoriya) / Building area: 30.5~37.0m² (x13 villas) / Total floor area: including exterior deck 44.5~75.2m² (x13 villas) / Structure: reinforced concrete, wooden / Completion: 2019.7 / Photograph: courtesy of Atelier TEKUTO
