Primitive Retreat NOT A HOTEL

Primitive Retreat was developed for the international design competition organized by NOT A HOTEL, a Japanese hospitality brand commissioning architect residences in exceptional landscapes. The site is located on Yakushima Island, where mountains rise from the ocean and vegetation, and light shift dramatically with elevation. The proposal was selected as one of 10 finalists among 1,058 entries from 112 countries and regions and an Excellence Award.

The project interprets Yakushima as a vertical territory rather than a scenic forest clearing. The building was repositioned toward the higher northern ground to secure simultaneous views of the southern sea, western sunset horizon, and northeastern mountain peaks within a single spatial sequence.

“Primitive” is understood not as roughness, but as origin — a return to essential relationships between structure, body, and landscape. A disciplined square grid organizes the plan, while a deep roof creates a sheltered exterior threshold that allows rain, wind, and shifting light to be experienced without sacrificing comfort. Concrete incorporating local volcanic ash, Yakusugi formwork textures, stone, and timber surfaces establish a tactile material language, where luxury emerges from proportion, shadow, and distance rather than ornament.