Press Release

May 2, 2014
LIXIL JS Foundation“The 4th LIXIL International University Architectural Competition” Seeking and Reviewing
Next-generation Sustainable Housing Technology

University of California, Berkeley’s NEST WE GROW Receives Top Prize
The winning project is scheduled to be completed on the site of Memu Meadows in Taiki-cho,
Hokkaido in November 2014
The LIXIL JS Foundation (located in Koto-ku, Tokyo; president: Yoichiro Ushioda), which facilitatessurveys and research related to the housing and building materials industries as well as supporting thedevelopment of human resources, conducted the for the 4th LIXIL International University ArchitecturalCompetition at the Keidanren Kaikan (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) on April 25, 2014 (Fri). The purpose of thecompetition is to seek and review next-generation sustainable housing technology and communicating thattechnology to global society. The top three universities chosen from twelve participating universities innine countries for the Open Final Screening gave presentations, and University of California, Berkeley’s
NEST WE GROW was selected as the winner.

Group photo

University of California, Berkeley
NEST WE GROW

During the Open Final Screening, a heated discussion occurred between jury president, Kengo Kuma(Architect / Professor, the University of Tokyo) and jurors, Tomonari Yashiro (Doctor of Engineering /Vice President, the University of Tokyo), Isoya Shinji (Landscape Architect, Doctor of Agriculture,Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University of Agriculture), and Kundo Koyama (Television, radio and script
writer, Professor, Tohoku University of Art And Design). The theme of the 4th competition was“Productive Garden — A Space for Enjoying Hokkaido with All Five Senses” and emphasis was placedon the interpretation of this theme, feasibility of programs and the relationship with the environment ofTaiki-cho.
University of California, Berkeley’s NEST WE GROW was given the top prize in recognition of its
consideration of the vegetation on Taiki-cho, the compact design enabling the cultivation of a variety ofplants in planters located in the building, and the unique idea of using high visibility polycarbonate in theexterior walls to provide a better view of the Hokkaido landscape.
In his general comments, jury president, Kengo Kuma said, “This competition was really interesting. It
covered issues like how architecture and landscape affect the environment, and deeply philosophical topicof how to solve the issue of dual nature that plants as giving us visual pleasure or the plants as livingorganisms in terms of the relationship between humans and plants. I think future process is very importantin order to make a plan to please everyone in Taiki-cho in response to the reality of Taiki-cho and natureof the plants as living organisms. An exciting process is waiting us.” At the award ceremony, Hsiu Wei
Chang and Baxter Smith from the winning team at University of California, Berkeley commented, “Weare very excited to win the top prize. We really look forward to realizing this‘NEST’.”
With support from Kengo Kuma & Associates, the team will arrive at a final design for “NEST WE
GROW”, and the project is scheduled to be built in November 2014 on a site at Memu Meadows, locatedin Taiki-cho, Hokkaido. Please see the attached document for an overview of the competition.

＜Reference Information＞≪Attached Document≫■List of Winning Works
・Top Prize

University of California, Berkeley
NEST WE GROW

・Award of Excellence（2 works）

The Oslo School of Architecture and Design
An endless path for five senses

Tokyo University of Agriculture
Smoke Garden■Overview of the 4th LIXIL International University Architectural Competition
1． Participating universities: twelve universities in nine countries(◎: Entrants that advanced to the open final screening on April 25)◎The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (Norway)
Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands)
Politecnico of Milan (Italy)
Liebniz University Hannover (Germany)◎University of California, Berkeley (USA)The University of Utah (USA)
Tongji University (China)
National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Bandung Institute of Technology (Republic of Indonesia)
The University of Tokyo (Japan)◎Tokyo University of Agriculture (Japan)
Hokkaido University (Japan)
2． Judging method
Twelve universities in nine countries were invited to submit proposals for a next-generation, sustainable
house designed for a cold region. Three entrants were then selected in the first screening (based on
documents submitted). The top prize winner was subsequently chosen in the Open Final Screening.
3．Jury:Kengo Kuma (Architect / Professor, the University of Tokyo)
Tomonari Yashiro(Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo / Vice President, the University of Tokyo)
Isoya Shinji(Landscape Architect / Doctor of Architecture / Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University of Agriculture)
Kundo Koyama (Television, radio and script writer / Professor, Tohoku University of Art and Design)
4． Prizes
Top prize (one work): $15,000 (USD; including design costs)
Award of Excellence (two works): $3,000*Top-prize work will be constructed on a site in Memu Meadows (Taiki-cho, Hokkaido).

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■The LIXIL International University Architectural Competition
This year’s competition centers on the theme of “Productive Garden — A Space for Enjoying Hokkaido
with All Five Senses”. By making use of the regional characteristics of the town, a cold area subject toextremely harsh climatic conditions with an underdeveloped infrastructure, the competition attempts tointroduce some of the world’s most cutting-edge technology. The event also functions to convey
information to the global society by building next-generation, sustainable housing that matches themagnificent scenery of the winter snow, spring and summer trees, and agricultural products that are
peculiar to Japan’s far north, and to verify the technical efficacy of houses based onenergy-conservation data.
The top-prize work will be realized on a site in Memu Meadows (Taiki-cho, Hokkaido).
Building schedule for “NEST WE GROW” , the top prize work by University of California, Berkeley (2014)
May-June: Working drawing
July: Cost estimates, etc.
Aug.: Construction begins
Sept.-Oct.: Construction continues
Nov.: Construction set to be completed
Organizer: LIXIL JS Foundation
Cooperator: LIXIL Corporation Research Institute, Hokkaido Taiki Town
Supporter: Obihiro Development and Construction Dept. / Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau /Hokkaido Government Tokachi General Subprefectural Bureau / Architectural Institute of Japan / The
Japan Institute of Architects (JIA) / Japan Federation of Architects & Building Engineers Associations /Shinkenchiku-sha Co., Ltd.
Official website: www.lixiljsfound.or.jp/category/1835715.html
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LIXIL.IUAC■ Overview of Facility
Name: Memu Meadows
Location: 158-1 Memu, Taiki-cho, Hiro-gun, Hokkaido (on theformer site of Taiki Farms)
Owner: LIXIL JS Foundation
2-1-1 Ojima, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 136-8535
Site area: App. 184,000 square meters
Main facilities: Experimental house “Même”, “BANGLADESH BANBOO PROJECT”, “A recipe to live”,“BARN HOUSE”, “HORIZON HOUSE”, multipurpose hall, laboratory, three housing units (accommodationfor researchers), two log houses (accommodation for researchers), fitness center, restaurant, sauna,administrative building, etc.
URL: http://www.lixil.co.jp/s/taiki-cho/about/Contact Information
Executive Secretariat of 4th LIXIL International University Architectural Competition
KYODO PUBLIC RELATIONS Co., Ltd.
Yasuharu Sakai, +81(0)3-3571-5326
lixil_pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp

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