A new event series, How to Design an Open Call, has launched to explore the experiences of practitioners who create and run open competitions.
What inspires organizers to launch an open call? What challenges do they hope to address, and how do they navigate the countless decisions and experiments along the way? Through a public interview format, this series traces the real thought processes behind open calls—the stories that often remain unseen.
Our inaugural feature focuses on the NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION, an international architectural competition launched by NOT A HOTEL in 2024.
The first Grand Prize-winning proposal, NATURE WITHIN, is currently being realized as a villa nestled among the massive boulders of Kita-Karuizawa. Sales began in February 2026 ahead of its scheduled opening in 2028, and the project has already become so popular that it is now available only through a waiting list.
Why did NOT A HOTEL choose an open international competition instead of commissioning another renowned architect? We spoke with Kazuaki Matsui, Creative Director of NOT A HOTEL Inc., with Kazuhiko Asami, AWRD Producer at Loftwork, serving as moderator, to discuss the philosophy behind the competition and the story of how it came to life.
Editorial Note: In this article, open call refers broadly to systems for inviting public proposals, while competition refers specifically to the NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION.
Beyond Commissioning Famous Architects: Why Invest in Emerging Talent?
Until now, NOT A HOTEL has produced numerous innovative architectural projects through two complementary approaches: designs by its experienced in-house architects and commissions to leading architects from Japan and around the world.
Kazuhiko Asami: NOT A HOTEL has already realized so many outstanding architectural projects. Continuing to commission renowned architects directly would have been the safest and most reliable path. Why did you deliberately choose the format of a design competition instead?
Kazuaki Matsui: You're absolutely right. From a branding perspective, continuing to work with world-famous architects probably offers greater certainty and stronger appeal in the market.
At the same time, I began to feel that if we kept presenting work through the same approach alone, it might eventually create a sense of familiarity or déjà vu. While we want to continue creating exceptional architecture with accomplished architects and creators, I also felt that stopping there would make our world a little smaller.
Kazuhiko Asami: So it was ultimately a decision to expand the framework itself.
Kazuaki Matsui: Exactly. Even if someone has no professional experience or qualifications, if they have a truly outstanding idea, we wanted to use all of our expertise to bring it to life.
Regardless of nationality or career stage—even students should have the opportunity to see a building they conceived become reality. That felt far more exciting to us, and we believed it would also be a meaningful challenge for the future of the architectural profession.
That led us to the idea of an open competition with the widest possible entry point. By limiting eligibility to emerging architects of the next generation, we created a system where proposals would be judged purely on the strength of their ideas.
Asami: Was the age limit of 40 introduced specifically to create opportunities for younger architects?
Matsui: Actually, we discussed making it completely open without any age restriction. We thought that might be even more interesting.
But architecture is an industry where earning your first major commission is incredibly difficult. That's precisely why we felt it was meaningful to provide a first stage for talented people who have yet to be recognized.
Making the competition global from the outset also aligned with NOT A HOTEL's mission of enhancing the value of Japan. By inviting applicants from around the world to engage with Japan's landscapes and environments, the competition became an opportunity to create new connections between Japan and the international creative community.
A Design Competition Built on the Promise: “We Will Actually Build It”
How, then, did this competition come into being and move toward realization?
Matsui: We didn't begin with the assumption that we wanted to hold a competition. Instead, we started by looking at NOT A HOTEL's existing business and professional strengths and asking ourselves, What is the kind of challenge that only this team can take on?
We eventually arrived at the idea that we should create an open competition in which the winning proposal would actually be built. I couldn't sit still—I immediately turned the idea into a proposal and presented it directly to our CEO.
We knew from the beginning that it would place a tremendous burden on the company as a project, but our CEO approved it on the spot.
Asami: What strengths of NOT A HOTEL made it possible to turn that proposal into reality?
Matsui: Our architectural team oversees the entire process—from selecting and acquiring land, to design, long-term maintenance after completion, and ongoing operations.
Because we also have many licensed first-class architects in-house, we were confident that even legally complex designs or highly intricate architectural details could be realized without compromising on quality.
It was precisely because we had that solid organizational structure and depth of expertise that we were able to conceive a competition built around the promise of actually constructing the winning design.
That spirit of craftsmanship is reflected not only in our ability to realize architecture, but also in the smallest details of the competition itself.
Matsui: Even the trophy presented to the winners is neither outsourced nor purchased. Every aspect—from concept to design—is created in-house. Together with a designer in their first year at the company, we began by discussing a fundamental question: What should a trophy for this competition be? We developed the design from the ground up.
The trophy incorporates the same architectural materials used in actual NOT A HOTEL properties, while its form is created by deconstructing and reconstructing our existing logo. It embodies both our respect for creators and a message to them: We want you to propose something that is unmistakably NOT A HOTEL, yet unlike anything NOT A HOTEL has ever been before.
The trophy itself reflects an uncompromising dedication to craftsmanship. More importantly, NOT A HOTEL's business structure ensures that submitted ideas do not remain mere concepts on paper—the company takes responsibility for everything from land acquisition and construction to long-term operation. This combination of an obsession with detail and a commitment to carrying ideas through to completion is what makes an open competition possible regardless of an applicant's track record.
Designing the Right Constraints: How Freedom Is Made Possible
Asami: How do you choose the competition site? Do you begin with a location and then decide to hold a competition, or do you search for a place specifically for the competition?
Matsui: Either approach is possible, but the underlying question is always the same: If we're going to hold a competition, where is the one place in the world that would make creators everywhere think, “I absolutely want to design here”?
We discuss it thoroughly across departments until we discover a truly exceptional site.
Once the site is selected, we conduct an exhaustive review of every legal regulation and physical condition. For the first competition, for example, the site was subject to strict restrictions under the Natural Parks Act and local landscape ordinances. We examined every regulation in advance and worked closely with government authorities, then translated every requirement into the competition brief.
Asami: If you're promising that the winning proposal will actually be built, you have to avoid a situation where, after judging, you discover it's impossible to realize.
Matsui: Exactly. The first site came with countless hurdles: roof pitches had to be at least 2 sun, single-slope roofs were prohibited, and exterior colors had to harmonize with the surrounding landscape.
We wanted to prevent the tragedy of a brilliant idea becoming unrealizable because of hidden constraints. That's why we deliberately included even highly specific requirements—down to the roof angle—in the guidelines from the very beginning.
A truly open competition is not one with fewer rules. It is one that clearly defines the constraints essential to realization while leaving room for creativity where it matters most. Designing that boundary is what allows freedom of expression and buildability to coexist.
Breaking Industry Convention: The Story Behind the ¥10 Million Grand Prize
The Grand Prize also reflects NOT A HOTEL's distinctive sense of scale and bold decision-making. During the Q&A session at the end of the event, participants asked how the prize amount had been determined.
Asami: How did you arrive at such a significant incentive—a ¥10 million prize in addition to a separate architectural design fee?
Matsui: When we researched the architectural competition landscape at the time, even the most generous prizes were typically around ¥2–3 million.
So initially, I proposed a fairly conservative plan to our CEO: ¥3 million in prize money plus the design fee. But his response was, “If we're going to do this, let's make it something with overwhelming impact—a scale that inspires people to dream.”
That completely changed our thinking. We decided to raise the prize to ¥10 million because we wanted young architects to genuinely feel that this competition could change their lives.
And of course, the prize money is separate from professional compensation. The winner also receives an architectural design fee based on the standards established by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Asami: So you've made a clear distinction between rewarding the idea itself and compensating the specialized professional work required to realize it. The substantial prize isn't simply about generating publicity—it communicates respect for the enormous amount of time and expertise applicants invest, as well as the organizer's commitment to truly building the project.
In the architectural industry, design fees typically account for around 10% of the total construction budget. According to Matsui, the cost of running the competition—including the prize money and award ceremony—could comfortably be absorbed within the overall project budget. Rather than treating the competition as a promotional expense, NOT A HOTEL reframed it as an essential part of the architectural process itself.
Creating an Opportunity People Feel They Can't Afford to Miss
The inaugural competition attracted 2,463 participants from 23 countries, resulting in 620 submitted proposals.
Asami: Why do you think the competition received so many submissions? I imagine the publicity must have been a huge undertaking.
Matsui: Surprisingly, we didn't carry out any extraordinary promotional campaign.
The concept itself was rare: a competition judged solely on the strength of ideas, with no regard for experience or qualifications, and with the guarantee that the winning proposal would actually be built. That idea spread organically among creators.
Asami: So before any publicity, the competition was already designed in a way that made young architects think, “This is an opportunity I can't miss.” The format itself became the story.
The momentum grew even stronger in the second edition. The competition expanded to 2,128 entries, 4,250 participants, and 1,058 final submissions. It evolved into a truly global competition, attracting applicants from 112 countries and regions, with nearly 80% of submissions coming from outside Japan. (The winning proposal will be built on Yakushima Island.)
Matsui: For the second competition, another major factor was our jury. In addition to our own communications, we were incredibly fortunate to have some of the world's leading architects and designers serve as jurors.
One of them, Bjarke Ingels of BIG, even shared the competition on his own social media. At the time, he had more than 940,000 followers, and that single post spread the competition throughout the global architectural community. I believe it played a significant role in generating such an extraordinary number of submissions.
Beyond Awards: Building New Relationships and Culture
The competition produced more than just winning projects. Looking back on the first edition, Matsui recalls an unexpected encounter that followed.
Kazuaki Matsui: One of the Japanese architects who received an Excellence Award in the first competition later applied to join our architectural team because they wanted to work at NOT A HOTEL.
They were hired successfully, and today they're designing new projects as a member of NOT A HOTEL ARCHITECTS. It's incredibly meaningful that we're now creating architecture alongside someone we never would have met without the competition. That's one of the moments that made me truly glad we launched this project.
Asami: During an open competition, both sides often discover, “I think I'd fit well with this company,” or “I'd love to work with this person.” Those unexpected relationships are another important value of open calls.
After holding the competition twice, is there anything you wish you had done differently—or something you'd like to improve next time?
Matsui: The first edition was completely uncharted territory. No one in the company had ever organized a design competition before, so everything was a process of trial and error.
There's nothing major I'd want to change, but if I had to choose one thing, it would be the venue capacity for the public final jury session.
We received far more interest than we anticipated—not only from participating architects and designers, but also from NOT A HOTEL owners and creators connected to the company. So many people told us they wanted to witness the birth of the next NOT A HOTEL in person that we had to allocate seats by lottery. I only wish we could have shared that excitement with more people.
By opening the judging process to the public, the event invited audiences to connect not only with the final result but with the process through which architecture comes into being, deepening the bond between the brand and its community.
Beyond a Successful Event: Becoming a Gateway for Young Architects
After two editions, Matsui describes his vision for the future:
Matsui: It's important to launch exciting, ambitious competitions—but even more important is continuing them without compromising on quality.
Our goal is simple: to sustain this initiative at the highest possible standard.
I hope this competition becomes recognized around the world as a true gateway for emerging architects. From there, bold and inspiring architecture can begin appearing throughout Japan, again and again. If that becomes an ordinary part of our cultural landscape—a lasting tradition—that would make me happier than anything.
What the NOT A HOTEL DESIGN COMPETITION ultimately reveals is that the success of an open call depends on how much responsibility its organizers are willing to take beyond selecting a winner. Creating the conditions in which applicants can do their best work, engaging seriously with every proposal, and carrying the chosen idea all the way through realization—opening the door and taking responsibility are inseparable.
An open competition is not merely a system for choosing the best answer. It is a framework for encountering people and ideas that have yet to be discovered, and for bringing something genuinely new into society. Through this conversation, Kazuaki Matsui demonstrated the conviction and commitment at the heart of How to Design an Open Call.
About NOT A HOTEL Inc.
NOT A HOTEL is a luxury hospitality and residential brand built around the concept of “Your home, everywhere in the world.” Combining architecture by internationally renowned architects and creators with the comfort of advanced technologies such as IoT, the company offers high-end vacation homes unlike conventional second residences.
A defining feature of NOT A HOTEL is its network model: owners can enjoy not only the home they purchase but every NOT A HOTEL property across the network. Each property can be owned as an asset and purchased through a share model beginning at 10 nights per year, making luxury vacation home ownership both flexible and interconnected.
URL：https://www.notahotel.com/
Edited by: AWRD Editorial Team
■ Next Event: How to Design an Open Call Vol.2
The second edition focuses on the Good Design Award. How has an award that has spent decades asking “What is good design?” continued to evolve alongside social change? Through the experiences of its practitioners, we'll explore how public awards are designed, operated, and sustained over the long term.
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 PM (JST)
Speaker：
Shinji Yajima — Executive Director, Japan Institute of Design Promotion
Kazuhiko Asami — AWRD Producer, Loftwork Inc.
Format: Zoom Webinar
Admission: Free
Organizer: Loftwork Inc.
[Application URL]
https://loftwork.com/jp/event/20261022_koubo-no-tsukurikata-02
