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2026 ASIA’S BEST RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE DESIGN - AMAMI HOUSE

17 July 20262 min readAsia Awards Organization
2026 ASIA’S BEST RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE DESIGN - AMAMI HOUSE

Project Name: Amami House

Location: Amami, Japan
Company: Sakai Architects
Designer: Kazunori Sakai
Manufacturer: Kawaguchi Construction Co., Ltd
Owner: Kazunori Sakai

 

Amami House is a fully off-grid residence designed as a living experiment in resilience, autonomy, and climate-responsive architecture. Located on Amami Island, the project addresses the challenges of a humid subtropical environment with limited solar resources, frequent storms, and the socio-economic realities of aging and depopulated communities.

Rather than relying on high-tech systems, the house reduces energy demand through passive design strategies, enabling it to function entirely without connection to external power infrastructure. Inspired by the traditional “bunto” settlement pattern, the architecture is composed of five independent volumes, with in-between spaces acting as environmental buffers and social zones.

This fragmented spatial system enhances natural ventilation, daylight modulation, and thermal comfort, while fostering a closer relationship between indoor and outdoor living. Local architectural elements - such as irimoya roofs, deep eaves, and raised structures - are reinterpreted in a contemporary language to respond effectively to climate conditions.

More than a house, Amami House operates as a self-sustaining micro-ecosystem, integrating energy, environment, and daily life. It proposes a new model of living that prioritizes independence, adaptability, and coexistence with nature in an uncertain future.

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