Photographer: Masao Nishikawa "LT Josai is a new kind of space for a new lifestyle. The ""share house,"" an increasingly popular style of living in Japan, has a form that is somewhat close to that of a large house, where the residents share the water systems and living room. What makes it different from a large house, however, is that residents are not family and are, instead, unrelated strangers. So a special technique in both its management and spatial configuration becomes necessary for complete strangers to naturally share spaces with one another.
In this design, we actively engaged in the fact that the house was to be newly constructed, and the entire building was composed in a grid-based, three-dimensional topography. Multiple undulations created in the shared space form various zones, each with a different sense of comfort. While the entrance hall with its atrium and dining table are perfect for gatherings of multiple people, the corner of the living room and areas by the window are great for spending time alone. The rug space on the first floor offers the most relaxed zone.
Through the creation of such varied zones, residents can enjoy the spaciousness of the house while moving through the building like a nomad in search of their favorite spots. While this share house has an abundance of shared spaces and 12.4 square-meter individual rooms, its total floor area divided by the number of residents amounts to a mere 23 square meters per person. It is therefore so efficient and rich that the countless number of conventional one-room apartments in the world seem almost insensible by comparison."