Infinite field

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Date: October 2016 Location: Hokkaido, Japan Area: 10m2 Function: Pavilion Status: Built Collaborator: Kengo Kuma & Associates Design team: Kazumasa Takada, Bas Spanderman, Ben Tan, Jesse Thomas, Kostas Fetsis, Scarlett Hessian, Anders Brix Sponsor: Kvadrat, LIXIL Foundation

Infinite Field is the winning proposal for the 6th LIXIL International Design Competition, realised at Memu Meadows in Hokkaido, Japan. The project takes the form of an experimental house composed of multiple layers of adaptable fabric, allowing inhabitants to adjust and curate their spatial experience. The design responds to the LIXIL Foundation’s aim of restoring a closer relationship between people and nature, a connection that has become increasingly distant in urban environments.

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The competition brief called for a balance between two contrasting demands: the phenomenological qualities of lightness and comfort, and the practical requirements of portability and protection within Hokkaido’s highly variable climate. In response, the project establishes a direct relationship between the inhabitant and the surrounding landscape of Taiki-cho. The design draws from local natural phenomena, snowfields, prevailing winds, shifting light, and atmospheric conditions such as diamond dust, informing both its form and spatial experience. A raised timber platform aligns with the region’s average snowfall, providing a stable and elevated surface from which to inhabit the site. From this vantage point, users can rest, gather, and engage with the 360-degree expanse of Memu Meadows. The platform is constructed from Japanese larch and incorporates integrated seating, allowing for multiple modes of occupation, from lying and observing to sitting around a central hibachi. Rather than enclosing the space with solid walls, the design is composed of layered textile elements that define a series of thresholds. A timber tripod structure supports these layers, forming a lightweight enclosure. The outermost layer is a waterproof membrane, suspended above the platform to protect against weather while maintaining openness and visibility. Its form is defined by a series of steel rings, giving the roof a soft, irregular geometry. Beneath this, a secondary textile layer introduces a more tactile and intimate interior condition. The fabrics are selected for their environmental performance, mediating airflow, light, and temperature. Silk strips suspended within the enclosure respond to subtle movements of air, making wind perceptible through their motion. Rather than relying solely on insulation, the project distributes environmental control between architecture and inhabitant. Additional textile layers can be used to wrap the body, allowing users to adjust their own thermal comfort. In this way, the building does not fix a single condition, but offers a responsive system in which occupation becomes an active process. Through this approach, the dwelling remains open to its surroundings while providing moments of shelter. The project frames a continuous exchange between interior and exterior, where climate, material, and human presence are brought into direct relation.

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