Fudomae Apartment with Six Voids Korterelamu

Press Kit

Unique Properties

A five-storey apartment complex of 14 units was developed for a parcel along a small local commercial avenue in Tokyo. To develop a parcel relatively deep with tight frontage in central Tokyo, the main theme for drawing the plan focused on supply of daylight and airflow throughout, while retaining density and thus enhancing rents. In this regard, a void to meet the local ordinance requirement of an evacuation route and additional voids were established.

Dimensions & Packaging

The site is a deep parcel with tight frontage, it measures 17 m to the back, 8 m in width. Site area is 155.07m2, Building area is 113.17m2, and Total floor area is 527.68m2. The building consequently comprises two volumes, front and rear, separated by open corridors installed with stairs ascending to all floors for access to the flats.

Tags

Apartment, Window, Voids, Post Coronavirus, Rental Complex, Pet, Cat Owners

Production Technology

Extruded cement panels are used for the wall rising above the outdoor passage in order to reduce the load. The street façade also rises four storeys as structural wall with a water-jet chipped finish. This distinctive expression faces the street and provides robust privacy for sleeping quarters behind the wall. The windows of the street-side voids are effectively set back, while the wall roughened by water jet draws passers’-by attention to enhance window privacy.

Design Challenge

The building code in Japan establishes standards for the specific planar area of openings with respect to the floor space of a room. For residential complexes, the area for openings must be at least 1/7 of the floor space of each room. In relation to the area of a window opening, the distance from the window to adjacent building and the height from the top of the building have a large impact on the calculated effective opening area.

Research

The number of pet cats in Japan is nearing 10 million in 2020. Lifestyle changes brought upon by Covid-19 have increased the desire for comfort from pets.
Important themes based on our Covid-19 experience prompt us to consider inclusion of outdoor space. This flat complex establishes voids for a deep parcel with poor air passage to the back in order to secure natural ventilation.

Inspiration

The four corners of each volume are notched to establish six vertical voids that bring light down into each unit for a heartening indoor environment. For a plan such as this, surrounded by buildings on neighbouring property all around, the lower floors for the new building are often unable to secure effective openings to draw sufficient daylight. The notched corners of each volume establish voids in front of neighbouring property and enable window openings facing the voids to provide effective daylight access that meets building code.

Project Duration

The project is located in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan. The project was started in July 2019, and finished in July 2020.

Operation Flow

A typical studio flat plots the kitchen space and unitized bathroom that require plumbing to the left and right of a central corridor opening up into a bedroom in the back. The studio flats in this complex, however, arrange their bath area towards the core of their volume and corridor along an exterior wall. The respective corridors internally connect the six voids as thoroughfares of natural ventilation.

Image Credits

All Images: Yoshifumi Moriya / Nacasa & Partners Inc.
Video: Akira Koyama / Key Operation Inc.