Building a Space to Connect the Town and River

Shirakawa River Severe Disaster Countermeasures Special Emergency Project (Ryujin Bridge – Ozeki Bridge Section)

The Shirakawa River Severe Disaster Countermeasures Special Emergency Project (Ryujin Bridge – Ozeki Bridge Section) is a river improvement project handled by the Kumamoto River and National Highway Office of the Kyushu Regional Development Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It covers the section of the Shirakawa River running from the source at Aso to the Ariake Sea through the urban area of Kumamoto City.

Our involvement in the project covered the landscape review committee and meetings with residents as well as arrangements with the local government and designing a river structure that took into consideration the landscape and environment.

This project not only involved ensuring the requisite water control functionality, but also minimizing the impact on the river environment, and creating a space that area residents could use on a daily basis. We also aimed to raise awareness of disasters by creating an environment where people could interact with the river daily.

Specifically, development of the levee included not only water management, but also aimed to improve (1) migratory capabilities, (2) accessibility, (3) spatial diversity, (4) safety and peace of mind, while incorporating natural environment conservation elements, developing the overall landscape of the river, and resident ideas into our design.

The project was the project won the Japan Institute of Design Promotion’s 2020 Good Design Award and the project won the Civil Engineering Design Prize 2022 (Grand Prize) sponsored by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers for its creation of building a space to connects the town and the river according to the location, and for its embankment development that enhances residents' awareness of disasters while enriching their daily lives.