Kibi Kogen N Square | Kengo Kuma and associates

A regional exchange and creative facility centering on coworking and a café in Kibichuo, a town located on the plateau in the center of Okayama Prefecture. A local company Systems Nakashima took the initiative of developing the project.

CLT panels, of which Okayama is the largest producer in Japan were used throughout the structure and interior.

The CLT panels 2.2m wide, 35m long, and 21cm thick, are stacked at varying angles across the site, with a height difference of approximately 4m. The angular misalignment of the panels creates a variety of spaces and openings in-between.

The open space, which differs from the closed and repetitive impression of conventional CLT structures represents the spirit of the facility's theme of openness and collaboration within the local community, including the participation of local Okayama University in the co-working space. Through these spaces, a crossover of activities that transcend generations and industry-academia boundaries are to be expected.

TEAM
Shin Oba, Taiki Monaka, Kyoko Mase

CONSTRUCTION
UG Giken

COOPERATION
Kozo Keikaku Engineering

PHOTOGRAPHY
©︎ Kawasumi-Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office

[JP]

吉備高原Nスクエア

HP　掲載用文章

岡山県の中央の高原の町、吉備中央町にたつコワーキングとカフェを中心とする地域交流・創生施設。地元の世界企業であるシステムズナカシマがイニシアティブをとった。

岡山が日本一の生産量を誇るCLTパネルを構造、内装に全面的に用いた。

約4mの高低差のある敷地を跨ぐように、巾2.2m、長さ35m、厚み21ｃｍのCLTの短冊状パネルを角度を変化させながら積みあげ、その角度のズレが多様なスペース、開口部を生み出している。

従来のCLT構造の閉鎖的、反復的な印象とは異なる開放的な空間は、地域への開放、連携をテーマとする施設の精神を表し、コワーキングスペースには、地域の岡山大学も参加して、世代を超え産学の境を超えたクロスオーバーな活動が期待される。