STITCH

The project aims to create a multi-family residence that “stitches together” local residents, diverse experiences, the building itself, and the surrounding neighborhood. We believe that the very process of designing the building as a cohesive whole served as a first step toward weaving people together—laying the groundwork for community formation.

At the ground level, a bakery that has been run by the same family in Minami-Sunamachi for two generations occupies a retail space. Together with the owner-couple—who have been baking exceptional bread for the local community—we shared the vision of enriching this stretch of Arakawa along the Edogawa River, an area otherwise lacking vibrancy, and bringing small but meaningful touches of color and life to the neighborhood.

Each floor from the second to the fourth accommodates a single residential unit (with portions of the second and third floors reserved for the owner’s residence). Every unit features a balcony directly connected to a “stitched” staircase, reinforcing a sense of connectivity. The plan also allows for flexible use beyond purely residential purposes, including the potential to incorporate retail or office spaces.