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Architects: HAMS and, Studio
- Area: 90 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Akira Nakamura
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Manufacturers: Fe+, Forbo, Haymes Paint, Tajima, Takara Standard, Villey ＆ Boch
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Lead Architect: Yota Hokibara
Text description provided by the architects. This is a renovation project of an architect's own residence. The 90 ㎡ floors on the second floor of the apartment building in a high-density residential area was planned as a base for the diverse activities of the architect: a residence, an office, a studio, and a showroom.
We carefully read the existing conditions and proceeded with the renovation plan, respecting "a bright space with eight openings" and "the materiality of the aged concrete". In order to utilize the eight openings, after a large number of design studies to maximize air volume and line of sight, a one-room was adopted merging of dining and living room and kitchen and atelier that can be partitioned by sliding doors. Furthermore, to maximize the presence of the existing concrete structure, steel flat bars were inserted to create a contrasting relationship between the materials and structural members.
A " Linkaged Ring" was planned in the center of the plan as hardware suspended from the existing ceiling, crossing the kitchen, dining room, living room, and studio, which are all arranged in one room. It is composed of two flat bars, with lighting fixtures placed above and below. When used as a studio, it can be utilized as a lighting baton. The design contrasts the irregular and strong existing frame with the sharp straight lines of the steel frame passing through FL+2050, and the integrated lighting brings them both to attention.
The distance from the neighborhood is an extremely important theme when living in the high-density residential area of Tokyo. We planned a "Green Back" as a background surrounding the one-room. Using the existing bow window, the green layer made by plants was put together, partitioned by an inner sash. the sash was hidden by covering the inner wall from the inside, and it was set up as an opening with rounded corners. The four layers avoid the direct line of sight with the neighbors while controlling direct light and improving thermal insulation. The building is designed to be a comfortable and attractive space at the same time. The idea was to create a perimeter that is derived from the central Linkaged Ring, and which can be continuously experienced as a single enclosure up to the exterior walls of the neighborhood filtered by the Green Back.
While creating a multi-use space, we attempted to thoroughly eliminate the "residential-ness" of the interior. The one-room, loaded with existing and maximized, will become a vessel for diverse activities overlapping work and private life and will change its shape as the couple's life stage changes in the future. In today's world where lifestyles are diversifying at high speed, the architect himself, together with his own residence, hopes to be at the forefront of this practice.
