Matsuda Hirata Sekkei

Our design for the Shimoniikura Elementary School in Wako for the 10th Sainokuni Midori Prize.

AdminMhs2018MHSadmin2018 — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 15:00:19 +0000

Seeking to encourage the creation of a city rich in greenery, the grounds feature a verdant promenade which anyone visiting the grounds can use. The grounds feature numerous types of trees, allowing for young students to learn more about the environment.
The large glass facade is designed to allow for seeing the manicured lawns in the garden beyond the trees, letting students feel the greenery close at hand.

Wako Shimoniikura Elementary School styles itself as a “schoolhouse in the woods” that grows and develops alongside the local community. It features a charming, nostalgic roof design and the Forest Hall, a symbolic space that takes pride of place in the center of the school.
The center of the facility, designed to foster ease of use for students and locals like, features a “citizens’ plaza,” acting as a sort of promenade on which anyone can take a stroll.
This aspect drew acclaim and was recognized with the grand prize for the Sainokuni Midori Prize.
We hope the school continues growing as a vital part of the community.

Details, Shimoniikura Elementary School (Wako)
Wako Shimoniikura Elementary School web site

AD-O Shibuya Dogenzaka was recognized with the 2018 Good Design Award.

AdminMhs2018MHSadmin2018 — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 15:00:08 +0000

A mid-sized office building spanning one basement level and eleven above-ground stories and located along the zelkova-lined streets of Dogenzaka in Shibuya.
By developing structures enveloped among the tree cover and playing off of the natural activity of the area, we created a structure that meshes with the zelkova trees and the feel of Shibuya as a neighborhood.

Wood-grain style aluminum panels and randomly-scaled windows are used to create a “tower of wood” that plays off of the zelkova trees lining the area.
The first floor is home to a shared space housing common areas suitable for use in meetings, showrooms, and exhibits. Structurally speaking, antiseismic dampers are used, ensuring a seismic resistance that is 1.25 times greater than the standards imposed by the Building Standards Act.
Other environmental performance is also more than met (such as with a CASBEE rank of A), and in-depth security measures are used to provide a work environment in which personnel have peace of mind.
The goal is making this an office building that is both high in sensibility but also leads innovation in the domain of small-scale offices.

Details, AD-O Shibuya Dogenzaka
2018 Good Design Award web site

The Ishibashi Foundation Art Research Center received the grand prize for the 44th Tokyo Architectural Award.

AdminMhs2018MHSadmin2018 — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 15:00:04 +0000

This museum houses the works of art owned by the Ishibashi Foundation and acts as a site to promote art and its appreciation.

This museum houses the works of art owned by the Ishibashi Foundation and acts as a site to promote art and its appreciation. It is located in a suburban area facing the bullet train tracks and sees a comparatively heavy volume of traffic, but given its role as a site curating and collecting fine art and presenting it for public view, one necessary step was keeping the sound of the trains from disturbing the inside of the building. To that end, a courtyard was installed in front of the building, with walls wrapping around it. This creates a private space that is subtly positioned away from the exterior without looking out of place. Visitors step into the central courtyard area and experience several walls and the interstices between them leading integrally towards the entrance hall. Stepping into the entrance hall, with its spacious atrium, one sees the ever-changing appearance of the louvres and the tree cover beyond the windows. This allows users and visitors of the space to experience the changing seasons and time, offering them a richer environment in which to work.

Details, Ishibashi Foundation Art Research Center

We were the first Japanese firm to receive ZEB certification for our involvement in the design of a new town hall in Kaisei.

AdminMhs2018MHSadmin2018 — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 15:00:38 +0000

This property is the first town hall in Japan to receive the Nearly ZEB designation through the BELS program.
Not only does this design achieve a 55.1% reduction in primary energy consumption compared to standard buildings, but the use of photovoltaic power generation contributes to a net 79% power reduction.

First Japanese government office to obtain ZEB certification

The new town hall in Kaisei lists its acting as a ZEB office seeking to reduce global and environmental impact and shrink lifecycle costs among its core policies. HVAC facilities employ local water, which is in plentiful supply in the town, and high-efficiency solutions are in place, as well as large eaves to reduce heating costs. The resulting building became the first government office in Japan to obtain the Nearly ZEB designation as part of the BELS certification system.

Adoption of low energy consumption technology and use of government grant

Not only does this design achieve a 55.1% reduction in primary energy consumption compared to standard buildings, but the use of photovoltaic power generation contributes to a net 79% power reduction. It was selected as a 2018 project demonstrating the viability of advanced, low energy consumption architecture towards the achievement of ZEB, and was eligible for subsidies towards the use of equipment that contributes to ZEB and low energy consumption.

Details on environmentally-aware design (ZEB)
Kaisei web site