NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2024 OVERVIEW & FAQ

NOT A HOTEL is hosting the NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2024 for architects and creators under the age of 40. Not only will the winning design be built and sold as the next NOT A HOTEL, but the grand prize winner will receive 10 million yen, in addition to a design fee to be paid separately.

・Enter the competition (until 8/31)
・Submit your work(until 9/29)

We will select the winner of the grand prize and various other prizes with judges Masamichi Katayama, Sou Fujimoto, Makoto Tanijiri, and Ai Yoshida. We have been accepting entries via the competition website since April 11, and the deadline is September 29.

▼Competition website

NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2024

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0rEYm89n8w8

NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2024

In this article, we present to you an abridged version of the competition briefing held on April 20 in addition to a list of answers to frequently asked questions.

About NOT A HOTEL

Before we get started with the competition overview, I, Ryo Saimaru from the competition administration team, will explain the business and services of NOT A HOTEL.

As you can see in this video, NOT A HOTEL was launched with the concept of “Your Home Around the World,” searching and creating new ways of living and architecture. By “home,” we mean not only a domicile to live in, but also a summer home/villa. We provide a platform where properties can be held as real estate such as homes or villas, while they can be bought as timeshares, allowing for mutual use in units of 10 nights minimum per year.

The four features above aptly summarize what NOT A HOTEL has to offer. In order to achieve our mission of “NOT A HOTEL for everyone,” we have also taken upon the next-gen initiatives of NOT A HOTEL NFT, which allows the sale of properties to be sold in units of one day in the form of NFTs, and NOT A HOTEL DAO, which uses Web 3.0 technology to allow property rights to be held in small lots by many people.

Some people have the impression that NOT A HOTEL is an architecture firm. It is actually a team comprising professionals of all genres, starting with technology. At NOT A HOTEL, our strength is that we handle the entire process from purchasing land, to designing, constructing, selling buildings, and managing hotels.

Below are some examples of NOT A HOTEL properties.

We have a milestone of opening 50 bases by 2050, which includes properties outside of Japan.

Some think of NOT A HOTEL as a company that sells luxurious villas that only a select few can access. To the contrary, our mission is actually “NOT A HOTEL for everyone.”

For example, the property in NOT A HOTEL ISHIGAKI EARTH is valued at 4.2 billion yen. However, thanks to the timeshare feature provided by NOT A HOTEL, you can own it for 30 nights a year by purchasing it for one-twelfth the value–in the 300 million yen range. It is still an expensive purchase, but the timeshare system allows buyers to only buy as much as necessary, and own villas beyond their budgets by making payments within their budgets.

Just like in the above example, NOT A HOTEL is a company that creates mechanisms so that experiences and buildings that were only available to a select few before can be enjoyed by wide masses.

(You can visit our website to read more about the concept and layout of each NOT A HOTEL property.)

NOT A HOTEL

About NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2024

The NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2024 is a first for NOT A HOTEL. It is a competition for architects and creators under the age of 40, where the winning design will be actually built and sold.

The stage is set in Kitakaruizawa. As you can see by taking a look at IRORI, It is a breathtaking location, surrounded by the rocky outskirts of Mount Asama, in an area of untouched nature. The design that wins the grand prize of the competition is destined to stand on this very site.

We of course would prefer to leave the basic design, the detailed design, and management entirely to the winner of the grand prize, but if you feel that you don’t have enough experience for that, fear not. NOT A HOTEL is a registered first-class architecture firm with around 20 experts in its architecture team. We have the right people to support the winner throughout the architecture process.

About the architecture of NOT A HOTEL

Even though it is not directly related to the competition, we would like to tell you about the architecture of NOT A HOTEL. Creative Director Kazuaki Matsui will now explain what we value in the architecture of our properties, and what sets them apart.

Kazuaki joined NOT A HOTEL in June 2021, before the sales website was launched. In addition to being the creative director for all of our architecture work, he was also in charge of planning and design for KITAKARUIZAWA BASE.

The architecture of NOT A HOTEL is first and foremost about design that is only possible because of its location. Not A HOTEL is not located necessarily in a prime, convenient city center or famous tourist destination. Japan has a long and narrow geography stretching from north to south, and the climate and landscape changes drastically from one place to another. There are many fascinating landscapes that are yet to be discovered, and there are experiences that can only be felt in those places. We believe that architecture exists to translate the splendor of a place so that it may be experienced by others.

In addition to being attractive as a spatial experience, we also place importance on the architecture being able to convey its appeal to people who aren’t even at the location.

For example, here you see a CG render of IRORI, the property that is being built in Kitakaruizawa, the same area as the site for the competition. When creating this, we paid special attention to the sense of scale provided by the rocks, the relationship of the property with nature, the sense of distance, and all other aspects that communicate the allure of the site.

The "Irori" (meaning “sunken hearth”) space, which also serves as the living room, is the origin of the building's name. In the render, the hanging wall of the hearth is backlit and darkened to accentuate the massive volume, which emphasizes the high ceiling and sense of freedom that can be experienced in this space.

In the bedroom, which also serves as a study, we wanted to express a place of tranquility in nature, and the render succinctly demonstrates the simple interior and its intended feeling.

In the bathroom, fresh greenery is reflected in the rock bath in expressing the proximity of nature. In addition, the open sliding door of the bathroom expresses the relationship of being fully connected to the outside air bathing terrace.

Since NOT A HOTEL properties are sold before construction is completed, CG renders are our most important tools for communication. When creating them, we constantly pay mind to putting together alluring visuals that will make the viewer think “I wish I could live there,” or “I’d love to stay there!”

The third important aspect is to finish with materials that appeal to the senses.

This is a photo of the Corten steel of a building called MASTERPIECE in Nasu, Japan. To emphasize the fact that the building is made of Corten steel texture, all the panels are welded together on site to make it look like one big mass.

This is BASE in Kita-Karuizawa. This is a picture of the actual mining and selection of rocks for the rock bath.

Modern life relies heavily on the sense of sight, but architecture, just like other forms of expression using actual substances, has the privilege of being able to appeal to senses other than sight, such as the cool touch of steel or the rugged feel of a solid rock surface. We hope to continue to create such experiences through the use of materials that connect with all senses.

The last point is not about luxury, but quality. First, please watch this promotional video for ISHIGAKI.

We often hear NOT A HOTEL being introduced as "small luxury hotels," but our goal is not to create spaces that pursue luxury, but rather spaces composed only of high quality materials. This is linked to the previous point about materials, but rather than direct glitz and glamor, we are considering architectural design with an eye toward creating a place that contains a richness that evokes emotion.

FAQ

Below are a list of answers for questions we’ve received about the competition.

Q: What are the conditions for entering the competition as a team?

Regardless of whether you are entering as a team or an individual, please adhere to the U-40 rule. You can also enter the competition as a firm. The only rule is that members involved with the design project, including design associates that may join at a later date, must be under the age of 40. Please be aware that if this rule is broken, your entry will be rejected.

Q: Is it alright if entrants are currently working at a firm?

It is absolutely alright.

Q: Is it possible to inspect the site?

The short answer is that site inspections will not be available. This is because the site selected for the competition is a privately-owned resort, and an unspecified large number of people entering and exiting the site is likely to cause a disturbance in the neighboring areas. Additionally, as the competition is open to entries from outside Japan, we believe that taking site inspections off the table for all parties keeps things fair. That being said, we intend to share as many photographs of the site as possible to give you a clear grasp.

Q: Do submitted works have to be written in both Japanese and English, or is just one language enough?

Either language by itself is acceptable.

Q: What are the evaluation criteria?

Please check the competition rules. As the competition is for a design that will actually be built, we recommend that you consider feasibility when creating your designs.

Q: Is it possible to re-submit a design?

Yes. You can use the entry form to submit your design as many times as you want.

Q: I want to create and submit multiple designs. How can I do that?

Each submission has to have its own entry number. Register each design individually to have different entry numbers issued, and submit each design separately with its respective entry number via the form.

Q: When creating designs, must we uphold the regulations regarding the form of buildings stipulated in Karuizawa's Ordinance for Nature Conservation on Procedures for Land Use (軽井沢町の自然保護のための土地利用行為の手続等に関する条例)?

Yes, in addition to the absolute conditions detailed under competition rules.

Q: Is there a planned timeline for the construction?

There is no planned timeline yet. The difficulty of the winning design, or the heavy snowfall experienced in Kitakaruizawa in winter may affect the construction period. For your reference, please be aware that the previous NOT A HOTEL property built in Kitakaruizawa took approximately two years from the start of its design to the end of its construction.

Q: Is there any information (other than site plans) that you intend to release or update in the future?

We will post updates from May on.

Q: Would the particulars of a project team affect the evaluation (such as person in charge, team structure, the careers of the equipment people, etc.)?

No. We will only evaluate the ideas presented, regardless of affiliations or past careers.

Q: How in-depth must the structural designs or facility designs be?

There will be a second design phase after the grand prize winner is decided. The winner is welcome to make corrections and/or updates during that time. The only requirement is that the feasibility of the design has to be kept in mind.

Q: I have the impression that NOT A HOTEL often collaborates with famous architects. Are there any properties designed entirely within your organization?

BASE and IRORI are designed entirely within NOT A HOTEL, with the former already completed and the latter being in construction, and they are both in Kitakaruizawa, where the winning design will be built. We also intend to take on more in-house designs in the future.

Q: Will the winner receive any support on the detailed design?

We intend to address details such as project team members and structure in a flexible manner after the grand prize winner is decided. If the winner wishes so, NOT A HOTEL’s first-class architects will be ready to help them with the design.

Further updates

We will be posting updates on the following SNS and other sites, so please follow us.

・NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2024 Official Website
・X：@notahotel_inc
・Instagram：notahotel_official

In closing, we would like to re-emphasize that the NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION 2024 does not require a career or any experience. It aims to serve as an opportunity for all architects and creators under the age of 40. Please take this chance and make it your time to show your talent to the world.