OBSIDIANEST. 2026 // KYOTO · ZURICH · NEW YORK
OBSIDIAN Monolithic Architecture in Alpine Fog

WE DESIGNSILENCE.

OBSIDIAN ARCHITECTURESPACES THAT OUTLIVE TIMEMMXXVI
MONOLITH
02 // MANIFESTO
DOCTRINE OF THE VOID
SCROLL TO TRAVERSE →
ARCHITECTURE
IS NOT
DECORATION.
IT IS
EXPERIENCE.
Spaces do not merely shelter the body; they recalibrate our perception of time, memory, and silence.
SECTION 03 //FEATURED MONOLITH
SPEC: 047-KYOTO-2026
HOUSE / 047
35°00'12"N 135°45'38"E
GRID: A-047
FLAGSHIP MONOLITHIC STUDY

HOUSE / 047

A monolithic sanctuary poised over still dark waters.

INSPECT SPECIFICATION→
HOUSE 047
MONOLITH 02
COURTYARD / 19
MUSEUM N
DESERT HOUSE
SECTION 04 // PROJECT INDEX

VERTICAL CATALOGUE

CURATED RECORD OF MONOLITHIC RESIDENCES, CULTURAL ARCHIVES, AND ARID SANCTUARIES
01

HOUSE 047

MONOLITHIC RESIDENCE · 840 M²

2026
A subterranean meditation pavilion and cantilevered concrete living quarter overlooking dark reflective water.
SYSTEM: Cast-in-place Architectural Concrete
02

MONOLITH 02

OBSERVATORY & ARCHIVE · 1,220 M²

2025
Cut directly into a basalt tectonic fault, Monolith 02 anchors geothermal research inside monolithic walls 1.4m thick.
SYSTEM: Geothermal-heated monolithic basalt concrete
03

COURTYARD / 19

PRIVATE FOUNDATION · 650 M²

2024
A sequence of three brutalist concrete cubes arranged around a central sky aperture, modulating seasonal Alpine light.
SYSTEM: Board-formed white-grey cementitious shell
04

MUSEUM N

CULTURAL INSTITUTION · 4,600 M²

2025
A monumental 34-meter unsupported cantilever thrusting outward above glacial waters, framing raw northern horizons.
SYSTEM: Steel truss encapsulated in self-compacting concrete
05

DESERT HOUSE

DESERT RETREAT · 980 M²

2026
Submerged partially within desert strata, utilizing monumental thermal mass to shelter life from extreme diurnal temperature swings.
SYSTEM: Stabilized monolithic rammed earth & board concrete
Light.
Shadow.
Material.
Silence.
Scale.
Time.
SECTION 05 //SPATIAL ONTOLOGY
AXIOM: FEELING
FORM
FOLLOWS
FEELING.
ACTIVE ELEMENT: 01 / SOLAR APERTURE

“Light is not illumination; it is the scalpel that carves volume out of void.”

SECTION 06 // TACTILE ARCHIVE

MATERIAL HAS MEMORY.

CONCRETE
ORIGIN // On-site custom batching with volcanic pozzolana
THERMAL MASS // 2.11 MJ/m³·K
ACOUSTIC PROFILE // NRC 0.05 / High STC 62 Isolation
SPEC // MAT-01
Opus Caementicium · 01

CONCRETE

“Concrete is liquid stone given form by carpentry, capturing human effort for centuries.”

TEXTURE: Rough tactile grain, timber knots, microscopic aggregate voidsTACTILE: Cold, dense, mineral, unyielding
DARK STONE
ORIGIN // Tectonic volcanic quarries of the Andes and Iceland
THERMAL MASS // 2.35 MJ/m³·K
ACOUSTIC PROFILE // Diffusion-inducing natural mineral fracture
SPEC // MAT-02
Lapis Basaltes · 02

DARK STONE

“Stone carries geological memory. It does not ask for permission to exist; it simply endures.”

TEXTURE: Hand-cleaved crystalline fracture, matte dark charcoalTACTILE: Micro-textured, ancient, granular resistance
AGED WOOD
ORIGIN // Slow-growth managed forests, flame-tempered by master artisans
THERMAL MASS // 0.13 W/m·K Insulation
ACOUSTIC PROFILE // Broadband sound dampener, high tactile resonance
SPEC // MAT-03
Cryptomeria Japonica · 03

AGED WOOD

“Fire seals the timber against rot, pests, and water. Destruction becomes eternal protection.”

TEXTURE: Alligator skin carbonized bark, velvet black sheenTACTILE: Dry, carbonaceous, aromatic, warm to touch
BRUSHED METAL
ORIGIN // Artisanal foundry casting, hand-burnished finishing
THERMAL MASS // Conductive warmth under direct sunlight
ACOUSTIC PROFILE // Subtle harmonic ring when tapped
SPEC // MAT-04
Aes Antiquum · 04

BRUSHED METAL

“Bronze patinates with human touch. Oils from fingertips register the passage of generations.”

TEXTURE: Hairline directional brush, chemical sulfur liver patinaTACTILE: Silky, heavy, cool, gently reflective
LOW-IRON GLASS
ORIGIN // Float-melt furnace with minimized ferrous oxides
THERMAL MASS // Low-E vacuum insulated double-glazing
ACOUSTIC PROFILE // Laminated acoustic PVB interlayer (Rw 44dB)
SPEC // MAT-05
Vitrum Puras · 05

LOW-IRON GLASS

“Glass is invisible boundary. Fluted, it turns blinding exterior glare into soft architectural light.”

TEXTURE: Custom sinusoidal fluting, water-clear polished edgesTACTILE: Pristine, razor-plane smoothness, optical distortion
SECTION 07 //THE PRACTICE
OBSIDIAN ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH

WE AREOBSESSEDWITH SPACE.

We do not build to decorate the terrain; we carve monolithic space out of silence. OBSIDIAN was formed as an antidote to transient architectural fashion.

Operating across Kyoto, Zurich, and New York, our practice unites master stone masons, structural theorists, and digital sculptors. Every project begins with a radical reduction of elements until only gravity, material truth, and celestial light remain.

KYOTOATELIER
ZURICHLABORATORY
NEW YORKRESEARCH
ARCH.PRACTICE // 01
00
ARCHITECTS
LOC.TERRITORY // 02
00
COUNTRIES
SPEC.MONOLITHS // 03
00
PROJECTS
HONORS.INTL // 04
00
AWARDS
SECTION 08 // ARCHIVE

SELECTED WORKS

ATELIER BRUT
OVERSIZED
ATELIER BRUT2026
ENGADIN / SWITZERLAND
PAVILION 08
TINY VIGNETTE
PAVILION 082025
NAOSHIMA / JAPAN
TOWER OF SHADOWS
VERTICAL SLICE
TOWER OF SHADOWS2024
BERLIN / GERMANY
DESERT ARCHIVE
PANORAMIC
DESERT ARCHIVE2026
MOJAVE / USA
FJORD REFUGE
OVERSIZED SQUARE
FJORD REFUGE2025
LOFOTEN / NORWAY
THE MOSTIMPORTANTSPACE
IS THE ONEWE LEAVEEMPTY.
SECTION 09 // ABSOLUTE SPATIAL REDUCTION
Monumental Architecture at Dusk
SECTION 10 //EPILOGUE
PERMANENCE IN FORM
BUILD
WHAT
TIME
CANNOT
ERASE.