A resort on a remote Japanese island features a rammed-earth technique that used soil from the mountainous site
Hospitality company Not A Hotel has opened its newest resort on the remote Japanese island of Sagishima in the Seto Inland Sea.
Constructed from 2022 to 2026, Not A Hotel Setouchi features three villas whose load-bearing clay walls were made with a traditional rammed-earth technique using soil directly from the site. Carved into the mountainous island, the resort also includes a beachfront restaurant and a private beach.
The design by BIG drew on both Scandinavian and Japanese inspiration. Referencing Japanese design, the glass façades nod to shoji screens, while the black slate floors suggest tatami mats.
The villas—named 180, 270, and 360 depending on the location and corresponding views—were built at various elevations, aligned with existing roads and infrastructure. While providing expansive views, each villa also creates a private space open only to the sky.
At the site’s highest point, the ring-shaped 360 villa offers unobstructed views of the island and sea and has a private courtyard. The 270 villa includes a sauna, pool, firepit, and outdoor relaxation areas. Closest to the water, 180 also has an inner courtyard. Bathrooms and storage are located in separate pods with skylights.
“Scandinavian and Japanese, the villas are architectural oxymorons embodying seemingly contradictory elements into a holistic hospitable whole,” Bjarke Ingels, BIG founder and creative director, said in a statement.
The roofs are covered in low-reflective solar tiles, while operable facades and overhangs promote passive cooling. As part of the project’s restoration efforts, grasses were harvested prior to construction, and olive trees, lemon trees, and native vegetation were reintroduced to the site. Rainwater is collected onsite to irrigate the landscaping.
On the project team: Not A Hotel Inc. (owner), BIG (design architect), Maeda Corporation (architect of record), Arup Japan and Maeda Corporation (MEP and structural engineer), Maeda Corporation (general contractor).
