Seijo Apartment The Seijo area in Tokyo is, alongside Denenchofu, one of the most prestigious residential areas in Japan. Having said so, in recent years, properties have been fragmented into smaller pieces and indiscriminant building of collective housing among other reasons have caused the local community to gradually disappear. We needed to provide a plan that would build a healthy living environment and help recover and strengthen the local community. The apartment was designed as two buildings, divided by an outdoor passage. The main rooms of the units with more of a public nature were placed facing the passage. By creating a framework where the residents can see each other, we hoped to encourage interaction between the units. Rooms that require more privacy were placed carefully in the basement of the building to the north (Type B) and the second floor for the building to the south (Type A). The Type A unit has a floating tea room and gently sloping large deck on the roof, while Type B has a main room that can function as a SOHO and large studio space in the basement – each has their own unique appeal. |