Schemata Architects has designed Yawn Yard Kouri Island, a series of guesthouses on the coastline in Okinawa, Japan.

This project is a group of locally sourced timber guesthouses that blend semi-outdoor living with the surrounding landscape and a pool at its core, offering a "new way of relaxing that will make you yawn."

"We proposed a new villa-type hotel where one can spend time harmonising with nature generously," said Schemata Architects.

Yawn Yard is divided into two areas: one is a long, narrow site along the road, with an undulating topography; the other is a trapezoidal site, with a difference in elevation.

" Considering the inefficiency of making different plans for the individual buildings, we developed a more efficient design method using an inverted V-shaped unit combining the two standardised plans," added Schemata Architects.

This project has been longlisted in the hospitality project category of Dezeen Awards 2025.

Studio: Schemata Architects
Project: Yawn Yard Kouri Island
Credits: Jo Nagasaka, Shu Hattori, Keisuke Masuda, Ou Ueno, Sho Komiyama, Shinyo Company, New Constructor's Network, Akana Equipment Design, Nami Makishi, Chikako Okeda, Luft, Kaoru Mende, LPA, Irobe Design Institute, Hiroki Iwamura, Harvest High, Rie Tanji, Takashi Ueta, Denkyo, Junya Akeyama, GoodTime, Yuria Wood Workshop, Toki Corporation, Ryuko Construction and Hachiman Tile Factory