The client, the Ys, had decided to rebuild their house although it meant losing a quarter of their original site due to the authorities’ plans to broaden the road. Therefore, the site area for Complex_Ys was actually extremely small at around 65m2. Furthermore, as a broader road would result in more passers-by, the planning needed to address the many new issues that would arise including the aspects of security, privacy, and lighting.
Complex_Ys is a shop residence consisting of two small shops on the first floor and the owner’s residence on the upper floors. While addressing the various conditions and securing privacy, the design aims to fill the rooms with natural light through the “light well” and “light filter” as well as provide warm light for the townscape in the evening. The “light well” invites natural light through the third floor balcony and the series of skylights that measure 6 m across. This allows the sunlight to flood the stairwell on one side, and also to reach the Japanese tearoom on the third floor as well as the main room on the second floor via the void. The sunlight in the staircase also penetrates through the perforated metal stairs to reach the entrance on the first floor and welcome visitors to the house. Thus, the light well pierces through the entire building to deliver natural light to each of the rooms. Meanwhile, the “light filter” is a 3 m x 5 m perforated metal screen that is fixed on the exterior of the second and third floor balconies facing the crossroads. While of course ensuring security, it is designed to let the warm light of life within the residence seep out into the night. This light filter, together with the light from the two small shops on the first floor (which have large glass windows to provide high visibility), becomes a source of light for the townscape.
As the municipality proceeds to make the roads broader, many of the houses in the area are being rebuilt. The shop-and-residence houses of the traditional townscape are being transformed into apartments as an easier source of income for the owners. As apartments need to address requirements of security and privacy, many of them are simply designed in a closed-off style, and this has resulted in the gradual disintegration of the unity of the community over the years. As the loss of local communities in cities is becoming a major issue in Japan today, I believe Complex_Ys, which attempts to interact with its surroundings through its light well and light filter, has managed to become a shop residence that functions in a manner that is more beneficial both for the residents and for the townscape.