Yoshinogawa Valley

This project is a renovation of a 40-year-old prefabricated office building without demolition. A 50-meter linear void is inserted at the center of the existing structure, aligned with the east-west axis of the Yoshino River, reorganizing the building into two north-south wings. Named Yoshino River Valley, this spatial operation forms the backbone of the architecture. A north-oriented skylight provides stable daylight, while passive ventilation is generated through height and pressure differences. By reorganizing the building, the project avoids dividing the values it supports.

Yoshinogawa Valley Headquarters Building Renovation by Wataru Sato was featured as an outstanding illustration of architectural design by the A' Design Award. Yoshinogawa Valley Headquarters Building Renovation won the Bronze A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design in 2026. The A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award is an international, meritocratic, just and fair design prize that rewards outstanding design of skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions, religious structures, infrastructure designs, landscaping projects and more.

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