Project Name: House W

Location: Nakafurano, Hokkaido, Japan

Design Team: Florian Busch Architects

Total Floor Area: 163 m²

Completion: 2024

Photography: SGR

Feature:

Project - In a groundbreaking achievement for sustainable architecture, Florian Busch Architects (FBA) has created their first net-positive energy building in Hokkaido's Furano Plateau. House W challenges conventional wisdom by achieving energy efficiency through volumetric fragmentation rather than compactness. Located on former agricultural land, this 163-square-meter residence produces almost double the energy it consumes annually.

The project's innovative approach lies in its deliberate breaking of a compact volume into two distinct parts, creating an interstitial space that serves both as a climate regulator and a viewing corridor toward Furano's ski slopes. The architecture actively engages with its environment through a sophisticated "solar skin" - a dark, homogeneous exterior integrating photovoltaic panels, which contrasts dramatically with the light, wooden interior spaces.

What sets this project apart is its conception as a "plant for living with" rather than Le Corbusier's "machine for living in." The building responds dynamically to its surroundings, utilizing a year-round natural water source for heating and incorporating environmental strategies as core design elements rather than afterthoughts. This approach creates a prototype for sustainable rural development that maintains connections to urban life through technology.

Design Team - Founded in Tokyo in 2009 by German architect Florian Busch, FBA has established itself as an innovative architectural practice that bridges European architectural theory with Japanese design sensibilities. Busch, who studied at Bauhaus University Weimar and the Architectural Association London, gained valuable experience working with Toyo Ito & Associates (2004-2008) before establishing his own practice.

Operating as a licensed architectural firm in both Japan and Germany, FBA has developed a distinct methodology that challenges conventional architectural paradigms. The practice emphasizes what they term "anexact architecture" - designs that evolve through rigorous analytical processes rather than predetermined forms. Their work spans various scales, from residential projects to cultural institutions, consistently demonstrating their commitment to creating architecture that actively shapes the society it serves.