TERRA IS THE
LATIN WORD
FOR EARTH
Terra 22’s design was inspired by
Earth in the context of the rich
nature of Hokkaido.
It encapsulates the beauty of nature
and is a representation of the spirit
and soul of the locale.
THE RELEVANCE
OF NATURE
“Nature is full of genius, full of divinity, so that
not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand”
Henry David Thoreau
The source and sustenance of life on Earth, nature’s beauty
is beyond words. Its complexity is beguiling, bewildering and
its creations awe-inspiring. The natural world’s spirit and soul
enhance our mental vitality and quality of life. Nature, after all,
enriches us.
Born of nature, we are beneficiaries of the soil. Our lives
are naturally and irrevocably intertwined. The wonders it has
to offer will not remain for long if we eschew ecological
responsibility.
Nature is the provenance of life and having respect for the
ecosystem in which we live is imperative.
OUR
THOUGHTS ON
ARCHITECTURE
Modern architecture has its roots and invention in its response
to critical issues arising in the post-war era.
In its most unadulterated form, architecture is a situation
specific response and reaction to current zeitgeist, culture and
economic constraints; it is not passive.
It can be rethought, reimagined and reinvented, but it is never
perfect. Imperfection, impermanence and incompletion have its
inherent beauty and character that perfection can never give.
Perfection means we can improve no further, and this can never
be said to be true. We are constantly moving, never stopping,
ever growing.
OUR
UNDERSTANDING
OF CONTEXT
Architecture is a response to context, encompassing the social,
emotional, psychological and physical. Where the grounding
principles of architecture never waver, context is fluid and ever
changing. In a nutshell, context is the understanding of the
environment.
When you are cognizant of the environment, it determines the
aesthetics of the architecture, regardless of form following
function or the other way round. Similarly, the internal spaces
created within and the subsequent integration of the external
and internal environments determine spatial aesthetics.
Architecture is about integration. It is not about being
merely sympathetic but being empathetic to the surrounding
environment.
A connection to the environment is essential to understanding
context.
WHAT
WE DO
Probity in architecture is important. We do not associate
ourselves with capricious trends. Our raison d’être is a
prescient mind and predilection towards craft and design.
Having an affinity and insatiable appetite to ameliorate the
living environment aesthetically, experientially and sustainably,
we do not believe in building structures with just a modicum
of acknowledgement to these ideals.
WHY WE
DO IT?
Architecture should never be perfunctory or ephemeral, but
why do we love it? Because, simply put, it is fun!
It engages and never fails to captivate. We are forever
enthralled by its never-ending depth and breadth. If practiced
with fervor, architecture is not static. No two sites are entirely alike, and the situation specific response is unique to every
individual site, its context never the same.
We strive to make our architecture interesting, captivating,
visceral and engaging, all for the purpose of enabling an
emotional connection and visual dialogue between a building
and the individual.
Our objective is to articulate movement, growth and change.
While we admire tradition, we also love renewal.
CREATIVITY
We encourage musings and reverie, as these result in ever
more creativity.
Without creativity, there can be no innovation. Yet creativity
needs inspiration, and inspiration is a nurtured process that
accumulates over time.
The product of creativity is the result of influences we have
absorbed and assimilated into our psyche consciously or
subconsciously. It is neither independent nor unique. It is
reproduction, reinterpretation or reinvention. You either
respect history or challenge it with new thoughts, and
often your “new” thoughts are influenced by “old” embedded
thoughts. But ultimately, what you do depends on the context
in which you are working.
A LABOUR
OF LOVE
It is important to be passionate about what we do, to love
every minute and every moment, the process and the
experience, whether they are trials or tribulations.
We love what we do, and there is nothing better in this
world than doing what we love.
THE
IMPORTANCE OF
RELATIONSHIPS
The creative process is facilitated by relationships between
people of different disciplines and diverse backgrounds working
together in concert to create a product.
It is an organic process infused with the inputs of a plethora
of individuals, each and everyone’s contribution important
in its own right.
Creativity is never solitary. It arises from the cross permeation
of ideas amongst individuals and this is the catalyst for ideas.
Ideas are transformative and we believe in the ability of ideas
to spur creativity.
In short, creativity facilitates design. Ideas are its genesis, and
people and individuals provide the fundamental source of ideas.
SEE
TOUCH
FEEL
The nascent appreciation of a product that is conceived through
the creative process begins with sight, followed by touch, and
how they both make you feel.
Visual. Physical. Emotional. Architecture has the capacity to
inspire and it should never be anodyne. It should strive to elicit
exciting sensations and emotions.
ATMOSPHERE
Peter Zumthor defined architectural atmosphere as “this
singular density and mood, this feeling of presence, well-being,
harmony, beauty...”.
As a group, we often talk about the importance of having an
emotional connection with the environment we live in; the need
to evoke beautiful and meaningful experiences, and achieving
well being through equilibrium between structures, spaces
and nature.
THE
INTERFACE
One of the key aspects of any building is what we call
The Interface.
It is the communication and interaction between a building
and the individual.
Typically, the function that a user requires to be derived from
a building has a direct or indirect influence on the building.
Our objective is to create buildings that address these needs
and are able to engage the user in totality.
Much planning and details go into architecture; it is not
something that we extemporize, though it is still art.
And like art, it communicates.
HIRAFU
VILLAGE
The inexorable truth and outcome of development is the
destruction of heritage and the environment.
While it can be said that architecture facilitates and creates
diversity, it has become an increasingly difficult challenge
to preserve the existing identity of the village, given its rapid
development.
Unifying the interests of development and the environment
is the holy grail of architecture and not least, an ethical act.
Our main concern was the emotional and physical reaction
to the increasing density and human traffic of the village.
We recognize the need to breed interaction between the
environment, buildings and the individual with a view towards
formulating meaningful and wonderful experiences. The well
being of the individual is critical, and this is achieved by avoiding
negative energy.
The first salvo to address wellbeing is an investment in quality.
With construction costs climbing faster than most would like,
it is often easy to overlook the merits of quality. This puts
a spotlight on the increasing importance of using intelligent
construction as a counterweight to higher costs.
LOWER
VILLAGE
CHRONOLOGY
We predict a shift in the axis of activity within Hirafu Village.
Not so much a seismic shift but a gradual redistribution of
activity.
The lower village has unbridled charm. In recent years, the
tenements of the old lower village, though quaint and bristling
with character, have been rapidly supplanted by modern
structures, some for the better, but more often, not so.
Our response to the continuing evolution of the lower village
is to create structures that contribute to a lightsome, light
hearted and effervescent mood, and to preserve the affable
and convivial spirit of the locale.
Importantly, we want to contribute to the evolution of the
lower village’s atmosphere towards an exuberant one; a place
where one can waft and frolic in an ethereal snowscape and
verdant forestscape, speckled with intriguing structures that
integrate effortlessly with the surroundings and environment.
THE SITE
We have an affinity for nature and lush greenery.
The advantage of being in the countryside, rural areas, or places
where the great outdoors takes precedence, is the opportunity
to indulge in our love of nature and the verdant.
The site was chosen for its relatively tranquil characteristics
and, being surrounded by lush greens, a haven in an increasingly
lively and cosmopolitan village.
THE DESIGN
We also believed in giving a voice to what we felt the market
lacks.
With rapid development and tight building setbacks, it is generally not hard to feel claustrophobic in Hirafu’s Upper and Middle
Village as newer buildings compete to rise from the ground.
Comparatively, the Lower Village is less built up and provides
an opportunity to get away from the crowds. It also proffers a
greater sense of space given the smaller scale of development
in the vicinity. Of late, it has been the location of choice for the
well heeled to build expensive luxury homes and chalets.
However, the newer structures, oftentimes built with a
prodigious use of concrete, occasionally contrast awkwardly
with the old.
While we decided from the onset that a scheme premised on
design language and our love of all things beautiful would form
the cornerstone of our concept, the real challenge was finding a
synergistic response of the building to the location. Particularly
important was finding the right balance amongst the diverse
streetscape, roofscape and landscape. Permeability with the
existing but varied vernacular was foremost in our minds.
Conforming to the predictable form of concrete, currently a
ubiquitous feature in the village, was not the intent. There was
a conscious move away from hard concrete facades whilst,
at the same time, an experimentation with efficient building
techniques that not only reduced the resource impact on the
environment, but also improved the thermal mass within the
building, thereby reducing energy consumption.
Where our affinity for greenery and tranquillity led to our
selection of this site, our leanings towards the natural prompted
a conscious decision to soften the facade by means of clever
material selection.
The solution was to work with a simple structure, an efficient
use of concrete, and where possible, the substitution with
natural materials.
Although we decided upon a simple structure, the intention
was to articulate details on the surfacing of the structure to
make it fascinating.
THE DESIGN
cont...
In the end, we brought forth a design of timeless modernity that
would integrate effortlessly with the existing vernacular, while
adding to the eclectic charm of the village.
One of the key determinants of the form of the building was
the site. The dynamics of the site favoured a long rectilinear
structure, which provides for efficient planning.
An ongoing theme was the juxtaposition of the vertical and
horizontal. Externally, the horizontal linearity of the building,
accentuated by the structural overhangs, was delineated by
vertical elements, such as the timber brise soleil and the vertical
linearity of the windows. The detail of the brise soleil countervails the hard surfaces and accomplishes the task of softening
the façade. Within the interior, we incorporated wood boards,
wood strips, and natural stone aligned vertically on various
feature walls in the internal spaces.
It was intended that the verticality of these elements in the
internal spaces contrast with the external horizontality of the
main structure.
Paramount throughout the planning stages of the project, from
initial concept to final planning and signoff, was the tremendous
attention given to the careful selection of materials and the
creative use of those materials to complement the external and
internal environment. Very early on, we undertook a rigorous
styling exercise to conceive an interior design vision that would
enhance the aesthetics of the building.
Concurrently, the furniture selection, material coordination
and overall ambience were painstakingly curated to achieve a
holistic end result. All these for the sake of an alluring end-user
experience.
Details, craft, quality and a bespoke experience are,
after all, our mantra.
The Experience
Entrance Lobby
Ski Locker Room
Dining Bar
The Apartments
Dining Room
Living Room
Master Bedroom
The Penthouse
The Penthouse
1ST FLOOR PLAN
Ski Mountain
5
4
6
7
3
2
8
1
1 Entrance
2Foyer
3 Entrance Lobby
4Reception
Mount Yotei
SCALE: 1:150
5 Lift Lobby
6 Ski Locker Room
7 Dining Bar
8Terrace
N
101Studio
103 1 Bedroom
36.37m2 / 11.00 TSUBO (Outdoor Terrace – 11.90m2 / 3.60 TSUBO)
TOTAL – 48.27m2 / 14.60 TSUBO
53.24m2 / 16.11 TSUBO
102 1 Bedroom
49.82m2 / 15.07 TSUBO (Outdoor Terrace – 9.74m2 / 2.95 TSUBO)
TOTAL – 59.56m2 / 18.02 TSUBO
Ski Mountain
ENTRANCE DUAL-KEY
4.13m2 / 1.25 TSUBO
Ski Mountain
GRAND TOTAL
111.96m2 / 33.87 TSUBO
8
7
5
6
9
8
1
5
4
2
1
4
9
2
3
3
1
2
3
4
5
Entrance
Living / Dining / Kitchen
Master Bedroom
Master Bathroom
Living / Dining / Kitchen
6Bedroom
7Bathroom
8Laundry
9 Outdoor Terrace
1 Entrance
2 Living / Dining / Kitchen
3Bedroom
4Bathroom
5Laundry
Mount Yotei
Mount Yotei
101
102
SCALE: 1:150
N
103
N
201 3 Bedroom
202 / 302 Studio
133.91m2 / 40.51 TSUBO
23.47m2 / 7.09 TSUBO
203 / 303 1 Bedroom
43.15m2 / 13.05 TSUBO
ENTRANCE DUAL-KEY
3.16m2 / 0.96 TSUBO
Ski Mountain
Ski Mountain
GRAND TOTAL
69.78m2 / 21.11 TSUBO
5
6
1
2
1
7
8
7
7
2
3
Entrance
Living / Dining / Kitchen
Master Bedroom
Master Bathroom
5Bedroom
6Bedroom
7 Common Bathroom
8Laundry
1
2
3
4
Mount Yotei
Entrance
Living / Dining / Kitchen
Master Bedroom
Master Bathroom
5Bedroom
6Bathroom
7Laundry
Mount Yotei
201
SCALE: 1:150
3
5
4
1
2
3
4
4
6
N
202
302
203
303
N
205 / 305 2 Bedroom
301 3 Bedroom
88.19m2 / 26.68 TSUBO
133.91m2 / 40.51 TSUBO
Ski Mountain
Ski Mountain
6
5
6
2
1
7
1
2
4
8
7
5
3
3
4
1
2
3
4
Entrance
Living / Dining / Kitchen
Master Bedroom
Master Bathroom
5Bedroom
6Bathroom
7Laundry
1
2
3
4
Mount Yotei
5Bedroom
6Bedroom
7 Common Bathroom
8Laundry
Mount Yotei
205
305
SCALE: 1:150
Entrance
Living / Dining / Kitchen
Master Bedroom
Master Bathroom
N
301
N
Penthouse
304.26m2 / 92.04 TSUBO
Ski Mountain
17
1
3
2
11
7
5
12
8
6
13
9
1 Entrance
2Kitchen
3Dining
4Living
5 Japanese Bath
6Terrace
7 Powder Room
8Bedroom
9Bedroom
10 Common Bathroom
Mount Yotei
PENTHOUSE
SCALE: 1:150
15
18
10
4
16
14
11Laundry
12 Family Room
13 Master Bathroom
14 Master Bedroom
15Bedroom
16Bathroom
17 Helper’s Bedroom
18 Owner’s Storage
N
The Specifications
SITE
APARTMENTS
Address
Plot Nos. 155-85, 155-86, 155-87, 155-88, Aza-Yamada, Kutchan-Cho, Abuta-Gun,
Hokkaido, Japan
Site Area
657m2 / 198.74 (1 tsubo = 3.306)
Building Coverage
49.87% < 50%
Building Area
328.29m2 / 99.31 tsubo
Plot Ratio
193.84% / 200%
Land / Building Ownership
Freehold
Building Type
Hotel Compliant Condominium
BUILDING
Floor Area
1293.77m2
Structure
Reinforced concrete zero waste system, high thermal insulation, environment
friendly
Façade
Argon gas filled double glazing aluminium framed window system, slatted timber
louvers
External Spaces
Heating for parking lots and external walkways, landscaping
SERVICES
Internet
High speed wireless and LAN
Electrical
Individual meter per unit
Water
Individual meter per unit
Heating
Individual meter per unit
GENERAL
Entry Foyer and Corridor
Entrance door in steel, floor in quality tile and timber
Living and Dining
Floor in timber, walls and ceilings in wallpaper, various feature walls in quality tile,
timber or stone, floor heating and reversible air-conditioner, LED lighting and
selected decorative light fittings
Kitchen
Floor in timber, quality kitchen system by Poliform Contract (Italy), various kitchen
appliances by Miele where available, water filter, LED lighting
Bedrooms
Floor in roll carpet, walls and ceilings in wallpaper, various feature walls in timber,
reversible air-conditioner, LED lighting
Bathrooms
Floor and wall in quality tile, ceiling in moisture resistant paint, floor heating, shower
room with glass screen and door, bathtub where applicable, water closet with heated seat and washlet, sanitary fittings by Grohe, TOTO or equivalent, LED lighting
Laundry
Floor in vinyl tile, washer and dryer
PENTHOUSE
Entry Foyer and Corridor
Entrance door in steel, floor in quality tile and timber
Living and Dining
Floor in timber, walls and ceilings in wallpaper, various feature walls in quality tile,
timber or stone, floor heating and reversible air-conditioner, fireplace, LED lighting
and selected decorative light fittings
Kitchen
Floor in timber, quality kitchen system by Poliform Contract (Italy), various kitchen
appliances by Miele where available, water filter, LED lighting
Bedrooms
Floor in roll carpet, walls and ceilings in wallpaper, various feature walls in timber,
reversible air-conditioner, LED lighting
Bathrooms
Floor and wall in quality tile, ceiling in moisture resistant paint, floor heating, shower
room with glass screen and door, bathtub where applicable, water closet with heated seat and washlet, sanitary fittings by Grohe, TOTO or equivalent, LED lighting
Japanese Bath
Floor and ceiling in timber, wall in quality tile, floor heating, large onsen style bath,
sanitary fittings by Grohe, TOTO or equivalent
Elevator
9 person lift
Terrace
Floor and wall in quality tile, ceiling in moisture resistant paint, floor heating
Car Parking
5 lots
Laundry
Floor in vinyl tile, washer and dryer
Stairwells
2 emergency stair wells accessible to all floors
Helper’s Room
Floor in vinyl tile, bunk bed
Emergency Exits
Signage on all floors with back up battery supply
PROJECT INFORMATION
Fire Safety
All curtains, roll blinds and carpets are fire resistant
Emergency Lighting
Emergency light fittings are installed in each apartment with back up battery supply
Hot Water system
Individual boiler(s) per unit
Ventilation System
24 hours ventilation system in accordance to Japanese regulations
COMMON AREA
Entrance Lobby
Main entrance door in steel and glass, floor in quality tile, walls and ceiling in timber
and wallpaper
Ski Locker Room
Entrance door in steel and glass, floor in vinyl tile, walls and ceiling in wallpaper,
metal lockable storage per unit.
Café / Bar
Entrance door in steel and glass, floor in quality tile, walls and ceiling in timber and
wallpaper, kitchen in stainless steel
Project Name
Terra 22
Location
Hirafu Village, Niseko
Developer
Atmospheric Development
Project Management
22ème
Property Management
Hokkaido Tracks Resort Properties
Architecture
nA Nakayama Architects
Interior
Poliform Contract (Italy)
DISCLAIMER
Whilst every reasonable care has been taken in preparing this book / brochure / prospectus, the developer and the agents cannot be held
responsible for any inaccuracies. All statements are believed to be correct but are not to be regarded as statements of representation
of facts. All information and specifications are current at the time of going to press and are subject to change as required by the relevant
authorities and final survey. All kitchen appliances, sanitary fittings and furniture packages are currently undergoing design and final validation,
and are therefore subject to change pending availability and architect’s specification, Visual representations, illustrations, photographs and
renderings are intended to portray only impressions of the development that are in line with the overall standard ad quality of the project.
email: [email protected]
www.22eme.com/terra22
photography: Keishiro Shin
進 蛍志郎
DESIGN BY
charlesallan.com