Awakening Hidden Gems: Reviving Old Treasures

The town of Nishinari-Ku in Osaka has undergone a lot of development and renewal, but its old image can still be found in some places. Realizing this truth, the Japanese studio T2P Architects Office proposed a new accommodation effort for an old row house (Nagaya), in order to adjust to the expansion of the townscape.

An old row house that has become a shared residence, in the project Extended Townscape by T2P Architects Office.

Through a concept called 'Shared Residence', the architect tried to transform this building into a shared residence that further ensures the privacy of its separate units. Even so, resident interaction will still be maintained because common spaces are also included in it. Whether it's a shared living area, a community garden, or the terraces upstairs, they are expected to encourage exchange and dialogue between residents.

This shared residence blends into the townscape.

This new structure appears while taking into account the relationship with its neighborhood.

In addition, this project also does not forget its relationship with the surrounding environment. Because some of the rooms are designed to be open to neighbors as much as possible. Its high-density and low-rise shape also implies seamless penetration into the microscale of its old neighborhood. A combination of small architectural units capable of melting larger volumes.

The wide entrance on the west side of the building shows its openness to the surroundings.

The view from the community garden within the project, which is parallel to the entrance, leads directly to the outside.

When looking at Nishinari as a town that is often underestimated even though it has meaningful living spaces - night bars, izakaya taverns, karaoke spots, performing arts venues, and shoutengai (local shopping streets), T2P is reluctant to alienate this design from town life. The townscape, which became the place where large and small buildings mixed, had to be continued and expanded. Therefore, in this project, T2P has aimed to unite the appearance of the row houses with the town by making effective use of the land. So, create an expanded townscape.

The rooftop terrace can also be a shared space for residents.

Ground floor plan.

Top floor plan.