We are pleased to share that Regenerative Vegan House, an ishibadate project for which EKAM created the regenerative landscape and exterior, has received the Gold Winner at the international design competition Asia Design Prize 2026.
日本語版： 石場建建築「Regenerative Vegan House」がAsia Design Prize 2026 Gold Winnerを受賞
About Asia Design Prize
Asia Design Prize is an international design award based in Asia. Spanning architecture, product, graphic, and other categories, it selects work from around the world that achieves excellent balance among aesthetics, originality, and practicality. Receiving the highest tier — Gold Winner — is evidence that our approach is being recognized at an international level.
About Regenerative Vegan House
Regenerative Vegan House is an ishibadate home built on Yakushima, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. The architectural design is by Tsukasa Ono of TONO INC., with EKAM responsible for the ishibadate construction and the regenerative landscape across the entire site.
Ishibadate is a traditional Japanese construction method that uses no concrete foundation; columns are placed directly on stones. By preserving pathways for air and water between the building and the ground, it maintains healthy soil ecology while creating a space where building and nature coexist.
Integration with Regenerative Landscape Design
By unifying architecture and landscape, the entire site functions as a natural circulatory system.
In the central courtyard, existing trees are preserved as-is, with trunks rising through the gaps in the deck. The home — placed so that the building blends into the forest — embodies the philosophy of “living within nature” rather than “managing nature.”
Ishibadate Recognized Internationally
This award demonstrates internationally that regenerative civil engineering and landscape techniques hold high value within the design world as well. Beyond mere visual beauty, landscaping that improves soil ecology and restores ecosystems has been recognized as world-class design.
EKAM will continue to pursue the integration of regenerative practice and beautiful spatial design through collaborations with architects and design firms.
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