Kenyuen, House for the Elderly

Photos: Nacasa & Partners inc.

This space allows people who have long lived with the rhythms of life and in close contact with the sea to stand firmly on the ground between the ocean and the sky and experience the changes of the natural landscape and the seasons. We hope that this place will remind them of their life with the sea, and at the same time give them the opportunity to reflect on their own existence.


The site is located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the southernmost point of the Japanese mainland. The facility is specially designed for the elderly in need of nursing care. While staying here on a long-term basis, they can receive nursing care as well as medical treatment and rehabilitative training to help them convalesce and regain the fullest measure of health, eventually leading them back home to a normal life.



The pleasant experience of seasonal changes and the transition of time and space inside and outside the facility, as well as the magnificent, moment-to-moment views of the sea and sky, are designed to evoke the residents’ own memories of the sea. 



We believe that in this type of space the elderly will begin to feel alive again and regain their will to continue leading a fulfilling life. We have tried to create a facility that will become the background of such experiences.

The expanded Z-shaped building is laid along an axis running from the mountains on the north to the sea on the south. The large open space along the building has been divided into a pair of L-shaped fields; one is the approach to the entrance, facing the mountains, and the other is the lawn-covered garden, facing the ocean. A transparent space has been created via glazed windows in the middle section of the building to produce a sense of free spatial flow from the mountains to the ocean. 
With the placement of the site, the building itself orchestrates varied effects and relationships to achieve our goal of creating a therapeutic environment in complete harmony with magnificent scenery.


Kenyuen, House for the Elderly

Location: Susami-cho, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama

Usage: House for Elderly persons

Building: 3 Stories

Structure: RC

Land: 15'490 ㎡

Built Area: 1'998 ㎡

Total Floor Area: 4'997.3 ㎡