Sara Koide, Thais Harumi De Morais
student
Aichi Shukutoku University
Japan
Architecture
The concept of this project is to create an affordable, sustainable, and community-centered learning environment in areas where access to conventional building… more
Omar Harb
advisor
USEK - Holy spirit University of Kaslik
Lebanon
As an architect and founder of Omar Harb Architects & Associates, my work centers on creating… more
Conceptual Innovation: The project successfully shifts the "cemetery" from a horizontal landscape to a vertical "Axis Mundi." It addresses the specific cultural context of Japan, where land is precious and automated urn systems are already becoming a reality.
Atmospheric Design: The focus on "Light as a Guiding Principle" (the central void) creates a necessary spiritual contrast to the neon-lit, chaotic environment of Shinjuku.
Technological Integration: The dual focus on "Machine-Spirit" (Archicad-modelled automated systems hidden behind traditional shoji/stone) proves that technology can serve ritual rather than replace it.
I. The "Human Scale" of Mourning
Suggestion: Ensure the high-tech automated retrieval doesn't feel like an "ATM for the dead."
Refinement: In your renders, focus on the Tactile Interface. Show the specific detail of where the family places a single flower or lights an incense stick at the retrieval niche. This "human-centric" detail wins awards.
II. Urban "Lungs" & Greenery
Suggestion: Shinjuku is a "concrete jungle."
Refinement: Explicitly design the Vertical Forest/Hanging Gardens to act as a thermal buffer and "air filter" for the city. If the base of the tower functions as a public park, it better integrates the dead into the living fabric of the city.
III. Technical Environmental Control
Suggestion: Smoke from incense and ventilation in a high-rise is a major technical hurdle.
Refinement: Provide a 1:50 Wall Section showing the integrated ventilation for incense smoke and the lighting for the urn shelves. Solving this practical issue demonstrates professional maturity to the jury.
IV. The "Decompression" Sequence
Suggestion: The transition from the Shinjuku street to a sacred space is too abrupt.
Refinement: Design a "Spatial Decompression" zone—a sunken plaza or water-filtered lobby—that "washes away" the street noise before the visitor enters the main elevator banks.
V. Final Presentation Tip
Refinement: Use a "Day-to-Night" sequence in your Lumion/Chaos renders to show how the "Central Void" glows at night, turning the cemetery into a quiet landmark/lighthouse for Tokyo.
08.02.2026