‘kok’ by ICU architects office in chofu city, tokyo, japan all images courtesy ICU architects image © hiroyuki hirai

‘kok’ by japanese practice ICU architects office (naoyuki nagata) is a three-storey collective residential project in chofu city, tokyo, japan. integrating void forms in a three-dimensional composition between units, the design is a practice in generating private and communal space that enables the inhabitants to ‘come together’ while maintaining a relationship with the urban context of the city.

ICU architects office: kok (left) view from vertical void (right) street facade images © hiroyuki hirai

positioned in an area dominated by low-rise structures with a parking lot to the front of the plot, the apartment building seeks to provide an open interface between the interior space and the immediate site. the exterior facade reads as the result of a push-pull effect of forms, featuring voids that run both vertically and horizontally throughout the design. while solid and free-standing in its stature, this porous arrangement coupled lends a sense of open accessibility from the street.

ICU architects office: kok entrance image © hiroyuki hirai

a composition of six vertical and three horizontal voids, the units surround these empty spaces to moderate distance between each rooms and the city. terraces and common circulation zones are created, resulting in an effective layout that promote the inhabitants to share these non-private areas together. floor-to-ceiling glazing which wrap around the inserted voids allow different units to be experienced in layers while offering views to the urban backdrop of the site.

ICU architects office: kok (left) horizontal void as terrace and circulation space (right) stairway images © hiroyuki hirai

ICU architects office: kok interior view of unit image © hiroyuki hirai

ICU architects office: kok view to the front of the site image © hiroyuki hirai

ICU architects office: kok image © hiroyuki hirai

ICU architects office: kok image © hiroyuki hirai

ICU architects office: kok night view image © hiroyuki hirai

ICU architects office: kok schematic diagram of void arrangement

ICU architects office: kok site map

ICU architects office: kok floor plan / level 0

ICU architects office: kok floor plan / level +1

ICU architects office: kok floor plan / level +2

project info:

site area: 342 m2 building area: 160 m2 total floor area: 489 m2 storeys: 3 structure: reinforced concrete

structural consultant: masaiti taguchi / TAPS mechanical consultant: hiroyuki yamada /YMO