Mio Path of Water
Mio Path of Water is a vacation house designed for the rainy coastal climate of Yakushima, Japan. Guests arrive under a covered entrance and pass through a dry rain porch into a living and dining core that faces the ocean. Three bedroom suites branch off as quiet rooms, each with a private bathroom, so groups can share the house without losing privacy. A spa follows a simple loop of sauna, cold plunge, bath and cooling terrace. The structure combines steel with an exposed heavy timber roof, and charred cedar cladding protects the facade.
Mio Path of Water Vacation House by Ke Chen, Mengxi Xu and Jiahua Xu was selected as an exceptional example of architectural design by the A' Design Award. Mio Path of Water Vacation House won the Bronze A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design in 2026. The A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award is an international, jury-voted, fair and ethical design prize which recognizes superior design of skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions, religious structures, infrastructure designs, landscaping projects and more.
