Perched dramatically on a clifftop overlooking Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji and the Pacific Ocean, Hill Top Villa represents a groundbreaking fusion of luxury hospitality interiors with contemporary Japanese design philosophy. This exclusive employee retreat redefines interior spatial relationships, creating an extraordinary sanctuary where corporate wellness meets innovative interior design.
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Gold 🏆 Winner
Global Future Design Awards 2025
Hill Top Villa
Residential Interior (Built)
Firm
T&C JAPAN Co., Ltd.
Architect/Designer
Tatsuo Akiba
Design Team
Tatsuo Akiba – Lead Interior Designer , Satoshi Kudochi – Construction Manager , Shinji Kudochi – Site Supervisor
Location
Sajima, Kanagawa, Japan
Country
Japan
Photographer/Copyright
©All images included in this submission are to be credited to 広井一成/H2studio.
Social Media Handles:
Website
https://tandc.tokyo
Interior Design Innovation
Suiban Water Feature Integration: Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese water basins, a continuous interior water feature flows seamlessly across the entire ground floor, establishing immediate tranquility while creating a unique spatial transition element. This interior landscape feature serves as both aesthetic centerpiece and spiritual journey, transforming the conventional entrance experience into contemplative luxury.
Haute Couture Interior Elements: Museum-quality spaces showcase custom-designed sculptural furniture, including iconic lip-shaped seating that transforms functional pieces into artistic statements. The floor-to-ceiling wine cellar, ingeniously integrated within the staircase interior, demonstrates innovative space utilization. Bespoke lighting systems and curated interior elements create gallery-like environments where daily living becomes an immersive art experience.
Chef’s Performance Counter: The kitchen counter adjacent to the living area was specifically designed as an interactive interior feature, enabling guest chefs to prepare and present culinary experiences directly before visitors. This social culinary interior transforms dining into live performance, fostering community through shared gastronomic moments.
Material and Spatial Strategy
The interior’s defining characteristic lies in its cliff-carved aesthetic—textured interior walls echo natural rock formations, creating visual continuity between indoor spaces and the surrounding landscape. Warm wood tones and stone textures establish intimate interior atmospheres while maintaining connection to the exterior environment.
The transparent glass elevator integration creates a dramatic interior circulation experience, maintaining visual connection with Sajima’s natural landscape throughout vertical transitions. This innovative interior feature elevates mundane movement into artistic journey while offering uninterrupted views during floor transitions.
Expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing frames the interior spaces with luxurious panoramic views, where living areas capitalize on sweeping Pacific Ocean vistas, creating seamless integration between interior comfort and exterior grandeur.
Cultural Interior Integration
Respecting Japanese interior traditions while embracing contemporary luxury, the villa balances minimalist interior restraint with opulent comfort. Natural interior materials—locally sourced stone, rich timber, and integrated water features—create authentic interior connections to place while serving modern lifestyle demands.
The rooftop infinity pool interior design creates an elevated sanctuary where guests commune with sky and sea, featuring expansive seating arrangements and panoramic Mount Fuji views for ultimate interior relaxation experiences.
Impact
Hill Top Villa demonstrates how residential interior design can transcend conventional spatial boundaries to become transformative retreat environments. By prioritizing employee wellbeing through thoughtful interior design strategies, this project establishes new paradigms for corporate hospitality interiors that honor both human needs and environmental context, elevating daily interior experiences into extraordinary encounters with nature, art, and tranquility.
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