

SPACESPACE: d-apartment in japan
japanese architecture practice SPACESPACE (takanori kagawa, junko kishigami) has shared with us images of ‘d-apartment’, a three-storey collective housing project in osaka, japan. utilizing the average size of a single-family dwelling as the starting point of the design, the apartment building elongates and bends the layout to create a gradient of privacy while maintaining an intimate and connected sense of space.
image © koichi torimura (also main image)
situated adjacent to a train station surrounded by low-lying multistorey buildings, the site is faced with multiple environmental conditions: a bicycle park space, shrine and shops to the west, while the east exhibits a quieter presence with a small station plaza and roundabout. furthermore, a nearby 700-year old camphor tree and elevated waiting platform limits the plot’s amount of sunlight. narrow and irregularly-shaped, the site propelled the design forward with a number of limiting conditions.
(left) street elevation
(right) access and cantilevering open-air circulation
images © koichi torimura
stretched into a long corridor-like plan, the building coils in on itself into a keyhole-shaped layout to fit snugly in the five-sided plot. the interstitial space generated in the bend serves as a private ‘alleyway’ for the inhabitants and houses the open-air staircase between levels. by weaving the circulation route in and through the courtyard, a sense of connection and transparency is encouraged between dwellers. this pocket of outdoor space also facilitates natural ventilation and daylighting which is further promoted by aligning windows to face one another.
courtyard
image © koichi torimura
views of open-air staircase
images © koichi torimura
image © koichi torimura
the singular nature of the layout enforces a simple circulation route within each unit: public programs such as kitchen, living and dining room are placed on one end while the more private area is located behind the bend. by formally separating these zones, the design creates separation without the aid of full partition walls. the maximized surface area of the coiled layout enables the interior to be flanked with windows on both sides, securing a very high level of natural daylight.
interior view of unit
image © koichi torimura
towards entrance
image © koichi torimura
from kitchen
image © koichi torimura
approaching bend
image © koichi torimura
image © koichi torimura
image © koichi torimura
small terrace looking over courtyard
image © koichi torimura
image © koichi torimura
image © koichi torimura
image © koichi torimura
image © koichi torimura
physical model
exploded axonometric
schematic diagram
site map
floor plan / level 0
floor plan / level +1
floor plan / level +2
section
street elevation
project info:
site area: 161.72 m2
floor area: 240.16 m2
structure: steel
structural design: ohno japan
constructor: panahome
architecture in japan (518 articles)
sho sasaki/INTERMEDIA completes japanese nursing home with triangular wooden canopy
arbol design connects two family houses in tokyo with bauhaus-inspired garage
'bespoke' hotel opens its doors in shinjuku, tokyo, with unique identity by artless inc.
SPACESPACE (6 articles)
architecture news
translucent conference center by selgascano appears as a luminous form
#architecture
on the outskirts of a medieval town in western spain, a giant, boulder-shaped volume emerges out of the undulating terrain.
on the outskirts of a medieval town in western spain, a giant, boulder-shaped volume emerges out of the undulating terrain.
the 'bunker' project by martin marro is an oil tank you can live in
#architecture
in his latest work, the architect has taken an old gas oil tank and converted it into a capsule for living in argentina.
in his latest work, the architect has taken an old gas oil tank and converted it into a capsule for living in argentina.
bezalel academy targets 2022 opening for its SANAA-designed campus
#architecture
to be known as the 'jack, joseph and morton mandel campus', the project is located in jerusalem's russian compound on a hill overlooking the old city.
to be known as the 'jack, joseph and morton mandel campus', the project is located in jerusalem's russian compound on a hill overlooking the old city.
this school in perthes-en-gâtinais comprises multiple gabled wooden volumes
#architecture
'school la rouche' by tracks architectes is located in a green pedestrian area, in the heart of the historic town of perthes-en-gâtinais, in the south of region »
'school la rouche' by tracks architectes is located in a green pedestrian area, in the heart of the historic town of perthes-en-gâtinais, in the south of region seine and marne, france.
Fascinating. Whatever about the sterile aesthetic, the shapes of the spaces are innovative. Forming the apartments into corridors might be counter-intuitive but by bending them the architect has magicked functional living environments. Clever clogs
I want to live there!
I want to live there too!!!!!!
Agree with SB above, sensational, beautiful and compact!
D stands for ‘D’ shaped plan as the architect has tweeted. (in Japanese) Better correct it.