Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates

Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Exterior Photography, FacadeSestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Interior Photography, ChairSestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Interior Photography, WindowsSestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Interior PhotographySestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - More Images+ 11

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Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Seiichi Ohsawa

Text description provided by the architects. This row-house-style apartment building in a high-density residential neighborhood is designed around the theme of spatial rhyming. The challenge was to create six three-story units that give residents the freedom to live as they choose, with a sense of both individuality and belonging, yet also maintain a consistent tone throughout the building—in other words, to flexibly adapt to a wide range of design conditions.

Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Interior Photography, Windows
© Seiichi Ohsawa
Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Image 16 of 16
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Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Interior Photography
© Seiichi Ohsawa

The site has an elevation drop on its southern side, which enabled a stepped design for the roof and unit interiors that blocks visibility where needed and brings natural light and ventilation into the residences. Through a composite design that is horizontally sectioned and vertically layered, we succeeded in achieving both a unified overall look with pronounced shadows and a set of six distinctive units.     

Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Interior Photography
© Seiichi Ohsawa

Like a poem whose words echo one another but are never repeated, no two spaces in this building are the same, yet each uses the same types of elements to respond to its surroundings and functional demands. The whole is divided into six “lines” by flat walls receding from the façade. By alternating between primary living zones, arranged consecutively from north to south, and more functional zones such as bathrooms, stairs, and storage space, unwanted noise transmission is reduced. Moveable partitions allow for flexible use of the space. In addition, by interlocking pairs of units across three floors, it was possible to give all units southern exposure.

Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Interior Photography
© Seiichi Ohsawa

This arrangement is also useful in the context of COVID-19; because the units resemble long, narrow rowhouses, there is a minimum of shared space. In ordinary times, this ensures an appropriate sense of distance while still allowing interaction. The building is thus a collection of apartments that each maintain a distinct character yet share consistent, function-based rules. Like a sestet, or six-line stanza of poetry, the building comes together in a series of six “rhyming” units. 

Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Seiichi Ohsawa

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Address:Kanagawa, Japan

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Sestet Apartment Building / Hugo Kohno Architect Associates" 02 Nov 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/950669/sestet-apartment-building-hugo-kohno-architect-associates> ISSN 0719-8884

© Seiichi Ohsawa

神奈川‘六行诗’公寓 / 河野有悟建筑事务所

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