Uehara Apartment

Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

Photo © Norito Yamauchi

Apartment Buildings

Architects: Hiroyuki Ito Architects

Location: Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
Year: 2018

It was requested to divide the plot of this apartment into two strips, which makes the space between two parallel volumes dark and monotonous. Deviding two volumes into smaller parts seemed reasonable, bringing light and wind through them in order to realize the bright and spacious living even in the minimum dwelling units.

The height restriction caused by the new boundary between two plots was a problem to do this operation without losing floor area. So we proposed to skew a part of the boundary by 45 degrees, which is approximately aligned with North-South axis. It allows us to create floor efficiently, since height restriction line towards South doesn’t derive from it.

By adopting a new angle, a variety in exterior space was born receiving the sunlight from different angles, and other’s eye could be more easily avoided.

Although it came from taking advantage of regulations, the purpose of the restriction is to ensure the sunlight. Therefore, it is not a coincidence that bright and pleasant outdoor spaces as well as the dwelling units inside were born by its thorough application.