SNARK + OUVI: ridge apartment complex

‘ridge apartment complex’ by SNARK + OUVI, takasaki city, gunma, japan image © ippei shinzawa all images courtesy of SNARK + OUVI

japanese firm SNARK and tokyo-based OUVI, have collaborated to complete the ‘ridge apartment complex’, two adjacent residential buildings in takasaki city, japan. expressed within the building’s exterior, the diversely undulating roof ridges adapt to the peripheral landscape, representing the mountain ridges of mount akagi, haruna and asama of the encompassing gunma prefecture. this project attempts to deconstruct the mentality of real estate-driven developments by rejecting the maximization of the property’s extents and southern sunlight. each of the one bedroom flats are contained within a singular room to feel larger. subdivided with chest-height partitions, each unit features a unique sectional experience without unobstructing sight lines to the outdoors.

two adjacent buildings form the residential complex image © ippei shinzawa

each dwelling within the structure feels as though it is a detached house, maintaining an atmosphere of individuality with ceilings which rise and fall within the interior space as well as lifting subdivided rooms up on platforms whether on the ground or upper level. the area under the elevated floors offer storage as well as an air-space to trap noise and vibration from traveling between the two vertical stories. clerestory or full-scale windows are placed along the north and south facades to pull wind through the interior as well as daylight to the center of the footprint. the neighboring walls feature a wide gap and staggered pillars to minimize acoustical issues between next-door residences and support the roof framework.

exterior

image © ippei shinzawa

(left) entry walk (right) stairway

images © ippei shinzawa

outdoor corridorimage © ippei shinzawa

individual rooms are elevated on platformsimage © ippei shinzawa

clerestory window introduces additional light into the rooms which are divided by chest-height wallsimage © ippei shinzawa

(left) low partition walls create a separation of spaces without blocking daylight (right) the overall footprint of the apartment is subdivided with partition walls of increasing heightimages © ippei shinzawa

low partition walls allow the light to penetrate interior rooms and allows unobstructed views to the outsideimage © ippei shinzawa

view from upper level loftimage © ippei shinzawa

undulating ceilingimage © ippei shinzawa

at nightimage © ippei shinzawa

at nightimage © ippei shinzawa

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

floor plan / typical unit

section

project info:

architects: sunao koase / snark (team: sunao koase, yu yamada) + shin yokoo / ouvi.  structural engineer: shin yokoo / ouvi landscape: atsuo ota / acid nature 0220 (team: atsuo ohta, tetsuo matsushima) photography: ippei shinzawa  location: takasaki city, gunma, japan site area: 708.75 + 679.68 square metres built area: 242.56 + 244.53 square metres floor area: 460.71 + 463.06 square metres number of floors: 2 structure: wood design: 2010.4-2011.8 construction: 2011.9-2012.2