IDPA Japan Design Award

2025 International Design Pioneer Award | Japan Tokyo
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ONESIN YI ORIGINAL ONE

by Liu Architects|SIN YI CONSTRUCTION

Project Description


This project aims to establish congregate housing units that are contemporarily designed while being nested in a local setting. The primary focus is small units that offer a lifestyle that promotes harmonious coexistence among individuals, architecture, and the natural environment. The window openings have been thoughtfully configured, grille elements introduced, and the building's beam structure innovatively incorporated to achieve the objective. These design elements facilitate the entry of warm sunlight and natural greenery into the rooms, creating an inviting and calming ambiance. The placement of light and shadow variations, coupled with shading effects, has been strategically implemented to create an aesthetically pleasing space. The end result is a healthy, comfortable, and peaceful living environment that is rich in greenery, offering residents the opportunity to experience a tranquil and serene life.
To ensure that the building perfectly integrates with the natural outdoor landscape, the team behind it adopted a remarkable building setback design. The design includes a wide green belt that serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it provides a buffer space for the residents to enjoy the natural environment before they enter the indoor space. Secondly, it significantly increases the green coverage in the area, thereby improving the aesthetic appeal of the building and its surroundings.
Furthermore, the roof of the building features a stunning lawn design that replaces the heat-absorbing hard surface. This design has numerous benefits, including the provision of better insulation against heat, and conservation of water. The rainwater that falls on the lawn is recycled and reused for watering and planting, which further enhances the environmental benefits of the building. With these features, the building offers a unique experience where the residents can enjoy the beauty of the natural environment while being indoors. In order to allow the natural outdoor landscape to perfectly integrate with the building and the indoor space, the team specially adopted a building setback design and left a green belt, which not only provides a buffer space for the residents before entering the indoor space, but also increases the area of green coverage. At the same time, the roof is also covered with a lawn design, which can replace the heat-absorbing hard surface to achieve the effect of heat insulation and water conservation, and also allows rainwater to be recycled and reutilized for watering and planting to enhance the environmental benefits.
As you take a closer look at the exterior of the building, you will notice the clever use of numerous grille elements to fragment its sense of volume. This design feature effectively reduces any conflicts between the building and its surroundings, while also minimizing any feelings of oppression.
To further integrate the building into its environment, its exterior is presented in the form of vertical columns resembling tree trunks. The use of a large area of gray-green olive stone adds a vibrant yet peaceful touch to the overall design. The exterior materials, including the matte-textured stone and bricks, are carefully selected to enhance the natural look and feel of the building.
As a result of these design choices, the building exudes a stable and soft visual feeling. The calming environment offers a sense of peace and tranquility, helping to soothe both the body and mind of its inhabitants.Overlooking the exterior of the building, one will notice that the façade utilizes a large number of grille elements to fragment the sense of volume of the building, which can significantly reduce the conflict between the building and the environment and the sense of oppression. In order to better integrate the building into the environment, the exterior of the building is not only presented in the form of vertical columns similar to tree trunks, but also with a large area of gray-green olive stone to express the vibrant and peaceful image, and the exterior materials are also made of matte texture stone and bricks to add a natural tone. In this way, the building as a whole exudes a stable and soft visual feeling, and gives the returnees the power to soothe their bodies and minds.
As you step into the interior common area space, you'll be struck by the awe-inspiring design choices made by the team of experts. The use of the same color for the sky, floor, and wall creates an optical illusion that makes the space seem larger than it is. Linear lights placed strategically around the field enhance the grandeur of the space, making it feel even more expansive and awe-inspiring. Moving towards the corridor, you'll notice the subtle yet stunning use of hidden light strips, which create an ethereal "see light, not see light" corridor space. This simple yet elegant design choice adds to the misty and dreamlike visual aesthetic of the space. On one side of the corridor, there is a gorgeous cafe that exudes sophistication, with a ceiling made of stainless steel water ripple panels that create an eye-catching sparkling effect with indirect light reflections. The team has gone the extra mile to accommodate the needs of parents and children by combining a yoga room with a children's playroom. The playroom has been thoughtfully designed with a curved layout and soft cushions to provide a safe and comfortable area for children to play without the risk of injury. Finally, the gym area has been designed with large windows that offer breathtaking views of the natural scenery outside. This design choice is meant to help residents relax their minds and bodies while working out, and adds to the overall tranquility and peacefulness of the space.
With environmental sustainability becoming an increasingly pressing issue, architects are focusing on creating an exceptional living environment and activity space for users, rather than just considering construction cost. This project strives towards this goal through the implementation of retracted buildings and green belts. In addition, the architects have adopted an innovative approach by incorporating vertical greening and green roof design, which not only provides a natural and comfortable open space for residents and neighbors but also effectively reduces the urban heat island effect. The result is a sustainable and livable environment that is both visually pleasing and ecologically responsible.

Liu Architects|SIN YI CONSTRUCTION


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