The Shita-machi Brewery HIKOBE stands as a new regional hub in Gojyome, Akita prefecture, home to a sake brewery established in 1688. In an endeavor to enhance its facilities, we undertook a micro expansion project characterized by large doors and triangular canopies. This initiative aimed to reconfigure structural stability, thermal conditions, and introduce new functionalities following the demolition of existing expansion parts.

The micro expansion facilitated the transformation of the intermediate space, converting a backyard parking area into the main event space. This reorganization fostered a new regional network, seamlessly connecting the main car street to the interior space, the sake brewery, and the market street.

The interior space was meticulously crafted using a combination of existing elements and materials. This approach was intended to cultivate a sense of continuity between past and present, fostering communication between townspeople and visitors while imbuing the space with a narrative of future history.

The concept of the “micro public network” emerged as a pivotal aspect of the project’s vision for community and economic revitalization. This innovative approach involves the construction of micro-scale buildings interconnected across the entire area. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as IT, automatic drive systems, drones, and new economic models, this method seeks to rejuvenate local landscapes and histories. It envisions a future lifestyle platform characterized by gradual, small-scale developments that collectively redefine the fabric of the community.