situated in the northernmost city of japan in wakkanai, hokkaido, this office building is realized by tatsuro sasaki architects for a company involved in renewable energy. the town of this site has very harsh natural climates with strong ocean winds and winters with blizzard. in these extreme conditions, the architecture is aimed to have a universal and lasting allure. ‘it is critical to not only be able to stand up to the natural environment, but also to be able to coexist and have a good relationship with nature,’ notes the architects. 

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
entrance side of the office

 

 

tatsuro sasaki architects has divided the structure into the office and garage wing with a space established in between. the office wing secures pleasant natural light, while the large grass area creates a new landscape, adding depth to the town. renewable energy is adopted actively as well. in cold regions, reducing the heating load during winter seasons is a big challenge; hence, in this project, floor heating in the buildings and underground heat pumps to melt the site’s snow are applied, allowing for lower costs and comfortable open spaces.

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
the walls of the paneling made of natural tropical wood

 

 

the solar panels installed on the exterior walls allow the generation of electricity even during snow accumulating winters, creating a distinguishing facade. deep eaves that help regulate the sunlight, clerestory windows to release warm air, thermally insulating and airtight wooden sash windows, usage of local materials, are just a few of the details. ‘in the end, the hope is for this structure to become a charm of the location’. 

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
from the front road

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
the waiting space as a gallery, and sometimes used as an event venue 

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
meeting room 

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
stairway side

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
concrete cantilever

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
glass and blinds gently partition the workspace and entrance gallery

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
office room adjacent to the courtyard 

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
layout provides a functionally large space for meeting and working

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
evening view of the entrance

tatsuro sasaki architects adapts japanese office building to the harsh local climate
street view towards the interiors 

 

 

project info:

 

structural design：masahito sasaki
completion：2016.07
principal use：Office
structure：RC structure
site area：1868.73 sqm 
total floor area：757.59 sqm 
location：hokkaido, wakkanai, japan

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom