한정적인 대지조건 내, 균일한 거주환경을 제공하는 것. 그리고 최대한 채광과 통풍이 원활하도록 거주환경을 조성하는 것. 쿄토에 위치한 6세대 원룸형 공동주택은 여기에서 시작한다. 약 45 틀어진 대지와 향을 따라 마주한 두세대를 서비스공간을 중심으로 배치한다. 그리고 각각 거주자의 선택에 따라 실 또는 오픈형 스튜디오, 주방과 확장되는 생활공간이 가능하도록 유연한 공간을 디자인한다. 내외부 공간이 전달하는 단순함은 이러한 포괄적인 내용을 담는 어휘로 보여지는 것보다 많은 것을 이야기 하고 표현한다.
Kyoto studio Alphaville has squeezed an angular concrete apartment building onto a small plot in the Japanese city of Hikone.
The Hikone Studio Apartments comprises six one-bedroom flats, on a site surrounded by traditional townhouses near the city's 17th-century castle.
The hemmed-in plot, which is flanked by buildings on three sides, informed the position of the apartment block and the form of its exterior envelope.
Architects: Alphaville
Structural Engineer: Takashi Manda
Photography is by Kei Sugino
"In the hope of allowing the natural lighting and ventilation to go into the building, the windows are orientated in a north-south direction," said Alphaville.
The building's angular shape was developed by taking the maximum permitted building volume and making two 45-degree cuts into it.
The cuts create elevations facing north and south, giving residents of each property windows facing in both directions.
"We made the shape of the building like cutting two corners from a rectangle, following the direction of the sun. As a result, all the flats are double-aspect," said the architects.
A further angled slice along the top of the building forms a gently sloping roof – a requirement of local planning regulations.
At the centre of the building, a spiralling concrete staircase ascends to the upper storeys.
Its open landings are lined with slender railings to ensure the circulation space feels light and airy.
The underside of the stairs are covered in a smooth white render that accentuates their angled edges, while a triangular skylight is incorporated into the ceiling.
Rather than following the compartmentalised layout typical of Japanese studio apartments, the architects positioned the services, including the stairwell and bathrooms, at the centre of the building.
Moving the services to one side means the remaining floor area can be subdivided lengthways using sliding doors that retract to sit in front of a central storage area.
The partition separates a kitchen and dining area with full-height glazed doors at either end from the main living and sleeping zone. Opening the doors at either end allows cross-ventilation to naturally cool the apartments.
The transition between the functional space containing the entrance, kitchen and dining area, and the more relaxed living space, is accentuated by a change in flooring material, from white tiles to wooden boards.
Within the six apartments, four variations on the layout are provided, with the flats on either side of the lower two floors mirroring each other.
The two flats on the top floor differ due to the changing ceiling height. These slight alterations in plan and volume provide a variety of options for prospective tenants to choose from.
