Mizunara: A Modern Concrete Home in Niseko's Lower Village
Completed in December 2015, Mizunara is a concrete home with exterior insulation, featuring an imported timber frame and European triple-glazed windows. The interior uses an exposed concrete finish in several areas, making the property highly insulated and structurally robust, providing warmth in winter and coolness in summer. The building was designed by architect Uehara-sensei of DCB Architectural studio in Sapporo, and includes a unique skip floor design and structural walls that eliminate the need for columns or beams within the building.
The property has four bedrooms, including a bunk room that sleeps six, for a total capacity of twelve. It features two ensuite bathrooms attached to the two master bedrooms upstairs and a shared bathroom downstairs, along with two separate toilets. The home is located in the lower village, approximately a 12-minute walk from the Grand Hirafu ski lifts. Homes of this design and build quality are rare in Niseko, and building to this standard today would be incredibly costly.
