Update: The details of the final selection meeting have been decided.

Date & Time: Monday, February 24, 2025 (Public Holiday) 15:30 - 19:30

Venue: TIME SHARING Shibuya World Udagawa Building, Space "9A"

Address: 36-6 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Access: 6-minute walk from Shibuya Station

Google Maps

If you would like to participate, please register using the form below by February 17:
Registration Form

Update: The first-round selection results are in!
Check out the selected works here:
https://sites.google.com/oakhouse.jp/awards/firstselection

■Competition Format

Idea Competition (Two-stage Screening Process)

■Competition Theme

“Share House with a Japanese Touch”

■Overview

We are seeking ideas for a new shared house where Japanese and foreigners from diverse backgrounds can live together.

Japanese share houses began in the 1980s and 90s as a way to provide housing for foreigners who found it difficult to rent a place in Japan. Initially called “guest houses” or “foreigner houses,” these shared houses, including those offered by Oakhouse, provided only the minimum living conditions.

However, with the changing times, the concept has evolved from living out of necessity to living for enjoyment. Nowadays, many people choose to live in Japan because they love Japanese culture and the national character. We are looking for proposals for share houses that are not just places to live but places where people of various nationalities and generations would want to stay long-term and fall in love with the Japanese style of share houses.

Planning Overview

・You are free to set the site and shape. However, please include a rough explanation of the location such as “urban, suburban, rural” in your presentation.

※To gather versatile ideas, please avoid proposals that are too strongly tied to a specific regional context.

※Reference scale: Site area approximately 500㎡, building coverage ratio 60%, floor area ratio 200% (It is not necessary to fully utilize the floor area ratio).

・Proposals that allow non-residents to use the building are also possible.

・Assume about 30 to 50 residents.

※There will be no Q&A regarding the task. Applicants must make their own decisions on issues not specified in the guidelines.

■Judges

-Chief Judge-

Mr. Jun Inokuma (NARUSE・INOKUMA ARCHITECTS Co., Ltd. / Professor at Shibaura Institute of Technology)

-Judges -

Mr. Osamu Nishida (ondesign partners / Associate Professor at Tokyo University of Science)

Mr. Seita Uesugi (CEO of YADOKARI Inc.)

■Prizes

Gold Prize: ¥300,000 (1 winner)

Silver Prize: ¥50,000 (2 winners)

Honorable Mention: ¥10,000 Amazon gift card

■Schedule

Application Start: Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Application Deadline: Monday, December 16, 2024 ※Must arrive by this date (only mailed submissions accepted; no hand deliveries or courier services)

First Screening: Tuesday, December 24, 2024

※People who have passed the first screening will be notified by the end of the year

Second Screening: Monday, February 24, 2025

※Location expected to be in the Tokyo area

■Eligibility

・Anyone interested in share houses, regardless of age, nationality, or qualifications

・Must be able to participate in the second screening (if unable to participate after passing the first screening, the entry will be disqualified)

■Submission Requirements

①Attach an A2-sized (420×594mm) proposal to a board and send it to the following address:

1-6 Shinkogawa-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0814, Japan

Oakhouse Co. Ltd. Competition Organizing Committee

※Print and attach the following PDF in A4 size on the back.

⇩1st Oakhouse Competition Application Form.pdf

②Convert the proposal to PDF and attach it to the application form linked below.

https://forms.gle/XhDaSSU74bpvJkKC7

※Name the PDF file according to the following rule: “YourName_ProposalTitle.pdf”

※File size must be with in 5MB

■Other Information

・For those who pass the first round, we will provide transportation expenses according to their place of residence. The amount will be based on the cost of public transportation (as indicated on the receipt), with a maximum limit of 30,000 yen (round trip).

・Submitted works will not be returned.

・Teams can consist of up to 4 members.

・Each team can submit up to 2 proposals (a separate form must be filled out for each proposal).

・Submissions that are also entered in other design competitions or have previously won awards will be disqualified.

・The copyright of the submitted works belongs to the applicants, but the organizer retains the rights to publish and display the works on the web.

・If copyright infringement or other issues are discovered after winning, the responsibility lies with the applicant. In such cases, the organizer may cancel the award at their discretion.

・Personal information obtained will not be disclosed or provided to third parties without the individual’s permission, except as required by law or for special reasons.

・The attribute information of applicants will be used for our business activities in a manner that does not identify individuals.

・Photos and videos of the second round of judging and the awards ceremony may be posted on the OAKHOUSE website and social networking sites.

■ Organizer

Oakhouse Co., Ltd.