This is a design proposal for a roadside station located along the national highway, surrounded by the rural landscape of Joso City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Leveraging the site’s unique characteristics, the proposal envisions the roadside station as a hub for the Agri-Science Valley and a focal point for the region’s development. It’s designed to be a one-of-a-kind “Agricultural hub.”

The “Joso Mall,” a passage named as such, is meant to draw people in as a place where they can experience “Everything Joso” and interact with the surroundings. Abundant use of wood materials that harmonize with “farming” creates a space where visitors can enjoy the rural landscape that stretches around, providing a visual taste of the rich “farming values” of Joso.

Additionally, the location is prone to flooding due to being situated in a low-lying area between two rivers, and it experienced a major rain disaster in 2017. To serve as a community refuge during disasters, a phased disaster prevention plan was developed, proposing the use of the rooftop as the most extensive and elevated public facility in the region as an evacuation site in times of calamity.