Forests of Grid

A Residential Building Designed by Yoshitaka Uchino

The main concept of this housing is putting forests into the public area where nature and the architecture stimulate with each other. The image is cloudy walls fold housing units made of uniform grids. In order to bring a harmonic rhythm into the daily life of the residents, YDS Architects inserted uniform grids with squared columns and beams. This is an attempt to expand living spaces and to make an environment that softly connects it with the city by creating a forest which is open to the city.

To make the concept of squared uniform grids and walls vividly expressed, they are made up of exposed concrete. Making public spaces of the forests and stairs vigorous spaces with light is the core solution of this design. The stairs must be open to the air due to the restriction of law. Taking advantage of the constraints, YDS Architects placed the stairs around the forests to relate them with each other. The relationship between them is closer and more comfortable to stay in.

The structure of the building is a reinforced concrete 6-story building. Placing the square on the 2nd floor next to the stair, the forest and the plaza connected by the stair stimulate the everyday life of the residents. The curved wall surrounding the court is a node. Through the hole dug in the wall, residents can see the city and people outside the housing can see the trees in the forest. The column inserted into the court integrates architecture and nature. The outer walls are freed from the grids, so light and wind would go through the housing units from tall sashes.

The design of this apartment started in July 2013 and finished in March 2014 in Tokyo. Construction started in April 2014 and finished in February 2015 in Tokyo. By referring to the western plaza, designing plazas and streets where people stay with joy feeling nature is intended. By connecting these public spaces, YDS Architects aims to create vigorous spaces with a forest. Overlapping the stairs over the forest and putting the square, the aim is to invoke communication in the open-air space between the residents. Thinking about several experiences in public spaces, the solutions are to design new collective forms of natural public spaces within housing.

To express order and calmness in the spaces of this apartment, the apartment consists of uniform grids of square columns and beams and two walls. To realize the stimulating relationship between the architecture and nature, the forests put in the public spaces are to be connected with the grid. To make the forests more open, YDS Architects erase the 2nd floor beam in the forests. Simple structures of columns and beams and walls wrap around the forests. Representing uniform grids inside the housing units and public spaces like the entrance hall is another challenge.

Yoshitaka Uchino designs spaces where people feel nature such as light, wind, and rain. Inspired by architectures in the world, he intends to design spaces of plaza with nature. "These spaces invoke activities of residents," he said. To bring order into daily life, he inserts uniform grids with squared columns and beams. He intends to connect the apartment with the city nearby. Cloudy walls fold housing units made of uniform grids. This is an attempt to expand living spaces softly connected to the city by creating public spaces like forests which are open to the city.

Image Credits: Masaho Inami/ACC Tokyo

Intellectual Property Notice: Yoshitaka Uchino & YDS Architects

Awards and Accolades: This Design was awarded Iron in A' Design Award in 2017. Iron A' Design Award is awarded to well-designed, practical, and innovative creations that meet professional and industrial requirements. Respected for integrating industry best practices and competent technical characteristics, they provide fulfillment and positive feelings, contributing to a better world.