Environmental Planning Studio

[design concept]
The house was designed as a feasibility study of cross generation family living. Japan is an aging society and the issue which for elderly parents to choose living with their children’s family to expect to be nursed by them or living alone in a nursing home is a contentious one.
We needed to create in an element of separation between generations, while maintaining a sense of communication through design. We decided to house the atrium in the center as a shared space while more private space separating generations was at either end of the building. We felt this zoning well-balanced and necessary for families to have time together and time apart.

[credits]
architect: Ken Hashimoto/EPS
structural architect: Ihara Masayuki/Ihara Structural Engineers
engineer: Nobuo Sato/M・E・C
constructor: Showa Housing Corporation

[data]
location: Hyogo, Japan
project: October 1999
completion: December 2000
land use: quasi-residential district, residential district of 1st kind
building use: dwelling
structure: reinforced concrete construction
site area: 533.56m²
building area: 99.18m²
net floor area: 253.01m²
building coverage: 18.58% to 60%
ratio of building volume to lot: 61.81% to 200%
number of stories: 3