Tatsumi Apartement House
Tatsumi Apartement House is a residential project located in Tokyo.
The 10 floors stacked volume tower is made of reinforced concrete on a building area of 47.97 meter squares and resembles a piles assembling of multi volumes.
Using a RC structure, columns and beams might become too wide objects in such modest sized room of 34 square meters, so we solved in a very versatile way the narrow space between columns and beams such as niches and alcove.
Tatsumi Apartement House is localed close to waterfront of Tokyo the neighborhood is characterized by congested streets crossing beside high way and public transports stations.
The 10 floors stacked volume tower is made of reinforced concrete on a building area of 47.97 meter squares and resembles a piles assembling of multi volumes.
Internally the tower is composed by commercial space, flats and a duplex options.
A RC structure was preferred upon steel structure in order to defeat noise pollution from heavy traffic avenue and earth vibrations from nearby metro station.
Adopting this structure, columns and beams might become too wide objects in such modest sized room of 34 square meters, so we solved in a very versatile way the narrow space between columns and beams.
A recessed space was designed both in section and plan to create comfortable man-size niches or alcove in which sit and laid back.
Size of structural members become smaller processing to upper floors so that depth of sunken spaces decrease inversely-proportional compared to the distance from noisy avenue.
The difference of step height from second floor to ninth floor is 30 cm in order to accommodate different furniture and use of recessed space, meanwhile last floor expands flatly, opening a wide view above neighborhood through full-height windows.
Six columns instead four were adopted in order to preserve the structure smaller and arrange in between a simple space to sit or laid back.
Columns depth around recessed zones are twice wider in lover levels than upper levels, letting inhabitants lean on.
Beams height is almost west-high in lower floors, enough to enfold human body as in a small cave. The dimensions are slightly adjusted so that may be used as benches, storage and low table of 450 mm high, standard tables of 690 mm high and bed space. Openings widen proceeding to upper floors, better perceived from interior since width of columns decrease in upper floors. The inner space invite lounging anywhere according to Japanese predisposition for low/ground level. A similar tatami fabric was adopted for lower floor to comfortably sitting on. Various ways of using sunken space is up to dwellers and to specific measures of depth on each floor.
Interiors were clad in natural timber irregular in color and pattern as its nature. Exposed concrete of walls was slightly polished to reveal a more irregular color texture. Chromatic harmony between the various elements contributes to create an airy atmosphere as well as the continuity between small spaces slightly differentiated such as direction of parquet slabs.
Each apartment was designed to be sustainable in terms of function, being extremely flexible to arrange the living zones but also versatile to be used even as office or studio.
To defeat earthquake considering sandy soil, characteristic of area in Tokyo Bay, were added to nine 30 meters lengths concrete pipes, steel cables of 50 meters lengths anchored to slab foundation.
Location: Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Year: 2016.
Architect: Hiroyuki Ito Architects.
Structure design: Jun Sato structural engineering
Facility design: Eos Plus + Yutaka Murase.
Plot area: 59.49㎡.
Building area: 47.97㎡.
Total floor area: 388.28㎡.
Stories: 10.
Materials Exterior wall: exposed concrete.
Materials Interior floor: Chestnut flooring.
wall: exposed concrete, plaster board with wall paper, plywood.
ceiling: exposed concrete, plaster board with wall paper.
