Apartment MK, The site is in Kariya city, Aichi Prefecture in Japan, and there are many apartments to the concentration of affiliated companies of major automobile manufacturers in the surrounding area. On the other hand, many green spaces and fields like farm left for development by the Green Land Law remain. The owner has lived in this area for many years and has long been a landowner who owns this site and many others.
Courtesy of 1 1 Architects
When we build a new apartment in a rural area, we think about parking space. Around this site, where household income and marriage rates are high, two parking lots are common to each home. In the surrounding apartment, first, a large asphalt parking space was planned along the front road, and a building was planned in the surplus area inevitably. By such a construction method, a big shadow fell in the adjacent green space and the field, and we felt that it was also negative to the ecosystem including the human being who was brought up there. In this project, we propose a construction method to maintain the continuity of the ecosystem and keep the impact on the environment small when building rental housing in a local city where production green areas remain.
Courtesy of 1 1 Architects
Specifically, the necessary rooms of the apartment were first broken up into each room. And by rejoining them while floating in the air, we tried to open the ground surface and secure the terrestrial ecosystem from the adjacent production green area. Each room floated in the air cannot stand on its own, but it was structured so that each dwelling unit supported each other around the staircase room. As a result, the number of pillars falling to the ground was reduced as much as possible, and the pillars were made as thin as the planting stems of the exterior garden. We plan based on biological rationality to choose the most suitable pillar diameter depending on the condition so that the trunk becomes thick as the height of the plant becomes taller.
Courtesy of 1 1 Architects
The whole is connecting the 4 units of the same plan while rotating or reversing to increase the economy and rationality. In addition, we made a layout plan based on sun conditions and the surrounding environment. By building all the roofs and outer walls with the same material finish, this group of buildings is planned to form a forest with overlapping leaves. The uneven shape mixes the life of the resident with planting and animal ecosystems equally and dissolves in surrounding ecosystems. The operation to ecosystem including human beings leads to improvement of value as rental housing including a solution to noise problem with the neighboring door and securing of covered parking.
Project Info
Architects: 1-1 Architects
Country: Japan, Kariya
Area: 174 m²
Year: 2019
Photographs: Courtesy of 1-1 Architects
Anastasia Andreieva is an accomplished Architectural Projects Editor at Arch2O, bringing a unique blend of linguistic expertise and design enthusiasm to the team. Born and raised in Ukraine, she holds a Master’s degree in Languages from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her deep passion for architecture and visual storytelling led her to transition from translation and editorial roles into the world of design media. With a keen eye for conceptual clarity and narrative structure, Anastasia curates and presents global architectural projects with precision and flair. She is particularly drawn to parametric and digital design, cultural context, and emerging voices in architecture. When I’m not analyzing the latest architectural trends, you’ll probably find me searching for hidden gems in cityscapes or appreciating the beauty of well-crafted spaces. After all, great design—like great connections—can be found in the most unexpected places. Speaking of connections, because architecture isn’t the only thing that brings people together.