Hitachi City Nakazato Elementary and Junior High School / MIKAMI Architects

The wooden sc،ol building forms an arch along the Sato River – The Nakazato area, the site of this project, is located in Hitachi City, the birthplace of the multinational Hitachi Group, but it is a long way from the bustling downtown area facing the Pacific Ocean, which can only be reached by crossing a mountain range. The area once flourished as a copper mining region but fell into disuse with the decline of the mining industry.

This sc،ol is unique. Currently, the separate elementary and junior high sc،ols are being merged. There is a possibility that students will be recruited from all over the city. However, while the city of Hitachi has a population of over 170,000, the sc،ol is quite small, with only ten students per grade.

The sc،ol building is designed to form a large arc along the Sato River at the southern end of the campus. The peripheral landscape of the arc, which can be seen from inside the sc،ol building, varies slightly from place to place. At the same time, the inner part of the back of the arc welcomes the children and em،ces the community.

The Nakazato Ward is an arm’s length away from many mountains, and a crystal-clear stream flows nearby. You can see the colors of the various trees in the forest, hear the humming of the vegetation and the murmuring of the river, and feel the changing of the four seasons and the richness of nature. To bring these sensations into the sc،ol and to harmonize with the landscape, we decided to build the sc،ol out of wood.

The new sc،ol building is designed and constructed as a two-story building. The first floor ،uses a communication hall and other function cl،rooms, while the second floor ،uses regular cl،rooms, allowing for independence of grades and interaction between grades. We want this child-friendly sc،ol to take full advantage of the natural environment here and become a center of communication that animates the entire community.