Hotlinks, duplex house for Make It Right / Atelier Hitoshi Abe

Atelier Hitoshi Abe shared with us their duplex house for the new phase of the Make It Right project we presented earlier. A renovated version of a shotgun house, the Hotlinks project offers several configurations depending on the client´s needs as described on the architect´s description and diagrams after the break:

Hot Links offers many different options for smart living. Through the inherit flexibility of its organization, this house can accommodate many arrangements of single family, multiple family, renter and tenant and live/work arrangements.

Two shotgun houses are linked together and able to open, close or share the space between. In this way, much larger open spaces are created for private bedrooms or public living spaces. The flexible boundary between the residences can be soft and adapt the changing needs of a family throughout the years. The array of choices gives families freedom to adapt their living size to their economic situations with little cost. If an owner desired a single family house, they can choose from a three, four, five or six bedroom house. If an owner’s family required less space, they can split the residence into a duplex, granny-unit or a live-work unit to enable to growth of a small business. Owners are able to re-create and customize their living situations as needed. The economic benefits of a flexible structure also translate into ecological benefits of a re-usable or re-purposed structure.

The façade of the building has been developed following a strategy of flexibility as well. It can absorb different colors, sizes and quantities of siding depending on the availability of materials or economic conditions at a given time. Weaving different colors into one façade and taking advantage of this adaptability creates a new identity and residential fabric.

Credits:

Midori Mizuhara
Ryohei Koike
Joe Willendra
Carmen Cham
Mina Nishio