Photos: Matthew Millman

Many companies invest in online tools to enhance productivity. Bot Express, a growing tech company, invested in something even more powerful: a deep connection to nature.

Set within a larch forest in the Tateshina highlands, the Bot Express Mountain Office was designed as a “workcation” retreat offering employees a place to reconnect, recharge, and work in nature. Navigating the steep, tree-dense terrain meant designing with minimal disruption. The plan branches outward like a tree, stepping across five levels and weaving around existing vegetation under a single sloped roof.

This careful calibration produced a single-room workspace composed of three staggered, box-like volumes arranged along the site’s natural elevation. These volumes create varied spatial experiences while maintaining a strong sense of unity. No single point offers a full view of the space, but each area remains subtly connected to the others.

“By creating these numerous “best positions” that shift with the seasons, we aimed to foster a space that cultivates sensitivity to the subtle seasonal changes often overlooked in the city,” explains architect Emiko Tsuno.

Built for long-term success

To further integrate the structure into its setting, Tsuno turned to Western Red Cedar for the siding and soffits. The material’s warm tone and natural variability echo the site’s organic character. Its durability made it ideal for the region’s harsh winters.

“We wanted the building to age alongside the company,” says Tsuno, noting the cedar’s ability to patina from golden brown to a beautiful silver-gray over time.

Cedar also provides an ideal complement to the laminated larch timber used for the building’s structural frame. Sourced locally, the larch beams pair beautifully with cedar’s naturally rich tonal range—together forming a quietly expressive material dialogue grounded in place.

For this project, Tsuno specified a knotty grade of Real Cedar and finished it with a clear penetrating preservative. This allows the wood’s natural expression to remain visible while providing long-term protection.

The result is a calming, tactile environment that promotes creativity and focus, reinforcing the project’s core goals: material honesty, spatial richness, and enduring connection to the landscape.

Real Cedar Specifications 

GRADE – Siding: GRN Select Knotty, Soffit: KD Select Knotty

SIZE – Siding: 3/4 x 8 Plain Bevel Siding, Rough Face, Soffit: 1 x 4 T&G, Smooth V-JT Face Resawn Flush JT-Back, Reversible

FASTENING Stainless steel

APPLIED FINISH Clear wood preservative stain

WESTERN CEDAR SUPPLIER Takahiro Lumber Co., Ltd.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Download the digital edition or order a free hard copy of Cedar Book XVIII to explore the latest in contemporary wood design.