Project Name: Kunitachi Terrace

Location: Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan

Design Team: Tomoyuki Kurokawa Architects

Total Floor Area: 458.65 m²

Completion: June 2024

Photography: Yasuhiro Nakayama

Design Feature:

Project - Located in Kunitachi, Tokyo, the Kunitachi Terrace project represents a revolutionary cooperative housing concept meticulously designed by Tomoyuki Kurokawa Architects. Comprising six townhouse-style units, the project redefines collective living spaces through an innovative garden network.

Situated in a historic residential district developed during the Taisho era, the project strategically addresses the diminishing spatial richness of the neighborhood. The architects envisioned a dynamic living system, intricately weaving residential units together through four distinct garden typologies: a communal courtyard surrounding the residences, private gardens created by the building's folded exterior, elevated personal terraces, and roof gardens offering graduated levels of privacy and interaction.

These spaces are more than aesthetic additions—they are active living environments that blur the boundaries between interior and exterior, private and collective. By adopting a cooperative housing model, the architects transformed potential limitations into opportunities, enabling residents to actively participate in designing and maintaining shared spaces, creating what the designers describe as a "living common."

The project's architectural flexibility is particularly noteworthy. Instead of imposing a rigid design, the architects established guiding principles allowing gardens and living spaces to evolve organically. Cross-mezzanine layouts ensure each unit has a unique relationship with its surrounding environment, making residents active participants in shaping their living landscape.

Design Team - Founded in 2012 by Tomoyuki Kurokawa, the practice has emerged as a distinctive voice in contemporary Japanese architectural design. Kurokawa, a graduate of Tokyo Institute of Technology, brings extensive international design experience from prestigious practices including Takkenaka Corporation, Herzog & de Meuron, and Kengo Kuma's Urban Design Office.

The firm is renowned for its expertise in residential, institutional, and public space design, continuously pushing the boundaries of contemporary Japanese architectural discourse. Kurokawa's design philosophy seamlessly integrates structural innovation with environmental responsiveness, earning multiple accolades in architectural competitions, including Good Design Awards and notable nominations.