Japanese studio Nori Architects has used whole cedar logs, earth plaster and waste materials to retrofit the 30-year-old concrete framed Good Cycle Building in Nagoya prefecture
Shortlisted in the rebirth project category of Dezeen awards 2022, the renovation was completed for construction company Asanuma Corporation as a flagship office that would demonstrate their commitment to environmentally-friendly retrofits.
The building was renovated by Nori Architects
"In recent years, the demand for mid-sized, high-end office spaces has increased in Japan, and several real estate companies have launched tier own office development projects," explained the studio.
"The Good Cycle project responds to this trend by renovating a 30-year-old building, the age many Japanese office buildings fall under." Cedar columns decorate the exterior of the building
Retaining the building's concrete frame, Tokyo-based Nori Architects made a series of cuts in the floor plates to open up the interiors, which have been given new finishes, fittings and furniture all made using natural and waste materials.
On the main facade, a glass curtain wall was stripped away and replaced with a stack of planted balconies, framed by columns made from whole cedar logs to minimise wastage, becoming thinner as they move up the building.
It was converted into an office for construction company Asanuma Corporation
"While conventional renovations often limit their work to interior and envelope, t...