Interview by Lorne Calhoun
Architect Riccardo Tossani has a broad education in architectural design from schools in the United States, Italy and Australia, and two decades of international design and design management experience. Powderlife had a chance to catch up with him and get his thoughts on the Escarpment Estate , the future of the Niseko area and his new office in Hirafu.
What words would you use to describe your current project?
Meandering through a lush Silver Birch forest, Hirafu Escarpment is a private estate that nestles premium quality, custom designed residences against the picturesque Hirafu hillside. Through careful planning and house design we have ensured outstanding views of Mt. Yotei, as well as glimpses of rice paddies through lush Silver Birch forests to the dramatic Niseko Mountains beyond. Hirafu Escarpment is a beautiful master-planned resort community that inspires a sense of belonging. It is as place where nature and the unspoiled character of Hirafu’s forested landscape will always dominate.
How do you feel about this project?
This project holds enormous potential as a model for controlled, high-quality architecture and planning, organised to integrate responsibly with the natural environment, employing principles of sustainability and enhancing Hirafu’s scenic beauty. This project also contributes recreational and cultural amenities back to the community, such as pocket parks,
sculpture and even a public piazza at the heart of this new village precinct. The opportunity to create an ideal world where planning and architecture are woven into a seamless, cultivated whole is rare. I am thrilled to be a part of this vision, and am confident that the Escarpment Estate will lead the way for further high-quality development in Niseko and the region.
What separates this project from others out there?
As an architect and master planner, I have the privilege of designing the residences, as well as the environment in which they are placed. Each residence is a unique interpretation of Japanese alpine traditions brought forward to the 21st century. They are a contemporary architecture tailored to fit each individual site, preserving views and embellishing the natural ecology through careful landscape design and extensive tree replanting. Power lines are underground, and infrastructure including storm water drains, kerosene and gas tanks are concealed from view. This attention to detail and investment in quality is the first of its kind in the region.
Where did you get the inspiration from for these designs?
Watching development trends in Niseko over the years, I could not help but notice the slow erosion of scenic beauty and architectural integrity in the mad rush to build. The region lacks a clear indigenous architectural style, and the invention of new paradigms has been exciting to watch but not always successful. Having designed and visited resort communities all over the world, it became abundantly clear that simple principles are the ones that add the most value to buildings and communities. These include a thoughtful consideration of architectural traditions and cultural history, a responsible relationship with the indigenous natural environment, view protection, community identity and strategic integration with neighbouring communities so as to share amenities without losing identity. These principles are seemingly obvious, but rarely adhered to. Hirafu’s unique natural and built environment, its visual relationship with Mt. Yotei, the vibrant nature of the village in winter and even the roar of the Shiribeshi River, audible from parts of the estate, combined like a lantern of inspiration to show the way forwards for the design of the Escarpment community.
What other projects have you been involved with in the Niseko region?
Our first commission was as master architects and planners for the Hanazono Village project for Nihon Harmony Resorts. We have recently completed Forest Estate – five luxury residences clustered on the edge of a hill in Hirafu Middle Village, and have just received the building permit for a large and architecturally significant private residence at the foot of Mt Yotei, which will be completed in 2009. This residence exploits sustainable design principles and employs geothermal heating and photo-voltaic power generation. We are master planning a new 18ha resort in Rusutsu, and have been asked to master plan the Niseko Moiwa ski resort by its new owner. We are also about to commence the Hirafu Upper Village master plan for the NPB (Niseko Promotion Board) starting with the main street. We are the architects for Shibisey, an exciting new condominium project in Furano for Hokkaido Tracks, and have recently completed the concept design for a very large mixed-use managed condominium and retail project in upper Hirafu Village. Obviously we have built up a considerable knowledge base in the region over the years, and have worked for many of the area’s pioneers, providing them with services ranging from due diligence studies of land parcels to full blown architecture and master planning.
How long do you plan on keeping the office in Niseko?
Niseko is an all-season resort destination with world-class potential. While current financial conditions are troubling, my profession must also responsibly take a long-term view. Buildings might take only one or two years to construct, but towns and resort communities take decades to build. Niseko is only part way there, and now more than ever the stakeholders around the mountain need to pull together to empower the area with a synchronicity of common purpose – to make this place the most desirable destination in the region. One needs to think well ahead, which is the definition of visionary. We must all look beyond our individual ambitions, and recognise that by working together to define and create opportunities, by providing visitors with an ever-expanding range of choices, we prop each other up and benefit ourselves in the process.
I see Niseko as an embryonic Aspen of Asia. As a place-maker and habitat creator, I hope to play a proactive role in this evolution. To that end I have built a home in Hirafu and opened an office in the village, which will provide my clients and staff with real-time support. We are on the cusp of something grand, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference, and all of us can participate.