A proposal to architectural design competition for an Experience Exchange Facility planned adjacent to Fude no sato (Brush town) Workshop in Kumano, Hiroshima prefecture. The scheme remained as one of the 5 finalists.

 

Kumano, also known as ‘hometown of brush,’ has prospered based on the brush craftsmanship since Edo era. The new facility is to be a community center for local residents and visitors to come together through various activities involving brush and traditional exercises such as calligraphy and tea ceremony. These programs are to be integrated with the exhibitions and events held at Fude no Sato Workshop, as well to the park spreading out to the mountains, as a comprehensive experience over brush craftsmanship in Kumano.

 

The conceptual inspiration of the architecture also derives from the cultural and historical basis on brush. We started seeing the spatial composition in relation with how brush draws a line in variable thickness and texture controlled by the pressure, angle and status of the brush. We designed one structural element that continues from wall to roof, then back to wall again thoroughly as in one-stroke drawing, which also offers a fluently connected spatial experience through the sequence of rooms in various scale and shape as the depth and angle of the shifted structure changes. The lifted wall opens up towards its surrounding greenery or the central courtyard, allowing natural lights and ventilation inside.

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Brush-drawing a fluid curve that resembles the geometric feature of Kumano surrounded by undulating mountain-scape, we aimed to create a cultural and communal center to represent and remind of the value of Kumano.