Forming an Arc Along the Sato River
Hitachi City is the birthplace of HITACHI, a world-class electrical manufacturer. Of all the areas of Hitachi City along the Pacific coast, the Nakasato district is the only one located along National Route 349, which runs through the mountains and can only be reached from downtown Hitachi City by crossing over the mountains. The area was incorporated into Hitachi City because of the company housing for Hitachi mine workers, the predecessor of HITACHI. However, the Hitachi Mine is now gone, and the Nakasato area is a desolate mountain village.
The project is a small combined elementary and junior high school built in the mountains. Although the school has only about 10 students per grade, the number of children in the local community alone is still not enough to fill the school. We planned to bring in children from all over Hitachi City to give life to the community.
We decided to make the most of the location, the size of this school, and where the school stands.
The site is where Nakasato Junior High School once stood, with a small mountain looming close to it. To the south of the playground, the Satogawa River meanders along its course, lined with old cherry trees. The school building was placed in an arc along the rows of cherry trees, giving the impression of embracing the village of Nakasato, which spreads out at the foot of the mountains to the north. At the same time, it created an expression of welcoming the children every morning.
The structure is made of wood to suit the location, where the mountains are within easy reach, and one can experience the changes of the four seasons and the richness of nature.