Buildings themselves cannot move, however, what surrounds it –movements, changes in the environment, or interactions that arise from people’s awarenesses – fluctuate on a daily basis. This building defines the relationship between such fluctuating things through its composition.
The entire building is composed of clearly defined but unpartitioned spaces between a number of pieces arranged so that the states of the pieces connect to the whole, and the state of the whole influences the states of the pieces.
In this mass housing complex, the building strives to connect people with people, nature with people and the city with people.
For instance, by creating a deck in between rooms, private spaces are given room to breathe. Creating suitable distances, inserting the changes of nature into each room, and creating openings in the shared hallways help unconsciously instill a sense of the surrounding environment in people. By adding a garden between the rooms and the shared space, an enclosed but open relationship is created between the inside and outside, both physically and emotionally.
Furthermore, the building is planned so that it blends into the cityscape, taking consideration of the area’s history and characteristics.
Traditional materials like kimachi stone, shikkui plaster, iron and Japanese red pine, as well as keywords rooted in the local tradition like Kitayama, windbreak trees and hisashi (eaves) were used to select the various materials and determine their arrangement. Each of these materials was fitted along the lines of circulation in the building so that human movements connect each of the materials, as if communicating the strengths of tradition. This building thus also embodies the concept of traditional materials + the skills of craftsmen.
Through this, Shisurubi I becomes a space for community and an opportunity for changing the awarenesses of the people who inhabit it.
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