​Ikoi Villa     Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan

This is a conversion of a corporate recreation facility into an accommodation.  The client wanted to  increase value with the shortest construction period and smallest budget so as not to stop the operation of the facility.  In response, we analyzed the existing building and surrounding facilities, and proposed to use the large common space typical of recreation facilities as a co-working space, which was unprecedented in the surrounding area at the time of early 2019.  In anticipation of future business expansion, each space was designed with a different concept in order to understand the needs and preferences of both domestic and international users.  "Forest Room" is furnished with Eucalyptus Citriodora, Ficus Benjamina, and Fraxinus Griffithii to create a biophilic sociofugal space, while "Wa Room" is a sociopetal space with wooden furniture.  The rooms are composed in such a way that the various distance and actions of guests are naturally generated.  The artworks arranged to match the concept of each room are original works by the painter Shizumune Matsuda.  This place is intended to become a new third place in the area through close coordination with the facility's management plan, which includes the possibility of day-time use and corporate registration.