SAKO Architects|MONOCHROME公寓

This semi-indoor balcony expands the interior space by about 2 meters, creating an area that resembles a room. Through these floor-to-ceiling windows, the units are connected to the city in a controlled way.

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Privacy and curtain walls

The residential complex is located in a commercial area with a dense concentration of mid-rise buildings just three minutes away from the metro station. Standardized apartment layouts in the real estate market do not take into account the surrounding environment, but are simply reused. Therefore, in places where privacy is difficult to ensure, the apartment needs to close the curtains day and night. The continuity between the interior space and the balcony is weakened, and the spatial role of the balcony is also weakened.

▲建筑概览 © Yousuke Harigane

French window

In response to this, the architects designed residential ensembles with "most enclosed" facades. The proportion of open balconies is reduced to a minimum, but it is not included in the calculation of the floor area. According to this value, the façade adopts a checkerboard pattern, with square and rectangular floor-to-ceiling windows cut out of a white cuboid. This semi-indoor balcony expands the interior space by about 2 meters, creating an area that resembles a room. Through these floor-to-ceiling windows, the units are connected to the city in a controlled way.

▲建筑外观 © Yousuke Harigane

Inverted beam structure

By using sash windows of the same height at the ceiling, the continuity of the interior space and the balcony is achieved. This was achieved by employing an inverted beam structure at the main opening. With a height of 650 mm and a depth of 280 mm, the rectangular floor-to-ceiling windows, which can also be used as a sill, are ideal for potted plants and provide protection from strong winds.

▲阳台细部 © Yousuke Harigane

The volume of "Anonymous".

The façade is painted white within 150 mm of the façade to look like a thin sheet, and the rest of it is painted black. Necessary but unobtrusive elements of the residential ensemble, such as air conditioners and downspouts, are hidden behind this panel. Although it is actually finished with spray painted tiles, it looks like a solid aluminum sheet. The unique treatment of joints makes it difficult to distinguish the type of building, and the façade looks mysterious during the day, and at night the light leaking from the units highlights the cross-section of the white surface blocks.

▲白天的立面局部 © Yousuke Harigane

▲夜间的立面局部 © Yousuke Harigane

▲隐藏在立面后的落水管 © Yousuke Harigane

▲阳台空间 © Yousuke Harigane

▲从室内望向阳台 © Yousuke Harigane

Monotone

The façade of the first floor of the building is made of concrete and cedar planks, which serve as the base for the white volume of the upper floor. The top of the triangular field is shaped in the shape of a ship's bow, and cherry blossom trees are planted on the second floor, giving a soothing visual effect when viewed from the intersection. The entrance hall is located at the end of the site's tunnel-like passageway and has been carefully crafted as an angular gallery-like space in black and white. The 12 oil paintings and 4 tin sculptures on the theme of water and life are also masterpieces of the architect. The building, entirely decorated in "monochrome", has become a new landmark that embodies an elegant lifestyle.

▲首层混凝土体量 © Yousuke Harigane

▲一层入口大厅 © Yousuke Harigane

Project drawings

Project Name: MONOCHROME in Fukuoka Type:Residential complex

Design Type: Architecture & Interior DesignLocation:Fukuoka, JapanAddress : 3-9-31, Befu, Jonanku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, JapanFloor Area: 2,593㎡Completion Year: 2024Design Firm: SAKO ArchitectsPrincipal Architect: Keiichiro SakoArchitectural Design : SAKO ArchitectsInterior Design:SAKO ArchitectsArtwork: Keiichiro SakoCuration: Keiichiro SakoPhoto Credit: Yousuke HariganeWebsite: https://www.sako.co.jp/Instagram: @keiichiro_sakoContact e-mail: [email protected]