Work has been completed on the Kengo Kuma and Associates-designed KAI Yufuin, a hot spring hotel on the Japanese island of Kyushu. The resort sees a landscape of rice terraces enclosed by several buildings containing public functions, a bathhouse, guest rooms, and villa suites.

The scheme’s three anchor buildings, namely the public building, bathhouse building, and guest room building, are defined by long gabled roofs with low eaves heights. The buildings’ exteriors are clad in charcoal grey to blend with the deep green hue of the surrounding forest, while the entrance is distinguished by a series of bamboo exterior walls.

The interior architecture surrounding the rice terraces is based on the concept of a “fine farmhouse” presenting a bespoke interior that nonetheless follows the spatial structure of vernacular Japanese farmhouses. The material palette of the public building is composed of straw, Japanese cedar, bamboo, and Shichitoi, a popular Japanese material for making rugs. The interior is lit with the aid of pedant lights also designed by Kengo Kuma.

The bathhouse building meanwhile seeks to create a "dark, subdued tone" through the use of black wood-grain panels on the ceiling and black pebbles on the walls and floors. The building connects to an outdoor hot spring with further views of the rice terraces.

At the center of the scheme surrounding the rice terraces is the Rice Terrace Deck; a public area with a panoramic view of the terraces designed as an “intimate space” for visitors. The floor of the deck is clad with wood, holding Japanese-style chairs made from Shichitoi grass. Above, a 40-meter-long (130-foot-long) overhang of the roof eaves creates a transitional sheltered environment. 

In addition to its three anchoring buildings, the resort contains a series of detached villa suites dotted throughout the rice terraces. These single-story villas are built from wood, with oversized roofs clad in black Cedar planks. Each unit contains a large single-pane picture window with a view of the terraces, as well as Japanese Cedar floors finished using a technique known as Uki-zukuri, which creates distinct patterns in the wood.

“The location of KAI Yufuin reminds me of a farming village in Yufuin, and in a sense, the site is like Yufuin’s original landscape,” said Kengo Kuma. “The main feature of this accommodation is the landscape of the beautiful rice terraces. It is designed so that this feature can be felt from anywhere onsite. Through this main feature, I think it will make one feel as if they have entered a completely different world.”

“Since the sheer beauty of nature can be felt from the rice terraces, it is sometimes said that rice terraces are more than a Japanese garden,” Kuma continued. “Seasons’ rhythm can be felt from the rice terraces, which makes people emotionally moved. By letting people feel the four seasons through the rice terraces, I believe there will be greater satisfaction than that of Japanese gardens.”

News of the scheme’s opening comes months after Kengo Kuma unveiled plans for a new biophilia-laden office complex in downtown San Jose, California. The firm has also recently seen the completion of their Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Denmark, while at the beginning of 2022, the famous architect was tapped to design a vacation home for Kim Kardashian.