Tokyo is a very specific place to build a house. The regulations are very tight and earthquake mitigation design is normal even in smaller projects. However, there is freedom of expression, giving rise to freedom of design and to challenge the status quo.
Designed by the Japanese design studio, Curiosity Inc, project C1 attempts to do exactly that. Being their first architectural project, the architects were keen to use this opportunity to raise questions about life, and to offer a solution that transcends beyond style, culture and history. As a result this relatively small residential project took over two and half years to complete, where the initial design itself took over six months to complete. The next hurdle was finding a location suitable for this concept before the architectural framework could be developed further.
A story unfolding
The originality of C1 stems from the initial design phase of the project and the architects’ unorthodox design approach. The project is a developed like a product, unique and independent. It is a seamless space where architecture, interior, furniture and fixtures are a unique emotional experience though interconnected.
The house is conceived much like a movie; through the use of storyboards and three-dimensional modelling, every aspect of the project from the building shape to the light switch position was visualised before commencing any construction.
The resultant house, named C1 is quite basic in its architectural form; a glass box surrounded by a walkway-gallery that connects the floors. It is designed in a vacuum state where the design drivers are movement and discovery. The design is not defined by the wall and floor but by the movement of the user within the space exposed to a number of carefully juxtaposed scenes. How the users will arrive to each space is carefully observed in the design and as the walkway envelopes the house, the visible aspect of each element is controlled. C1 is a three-dimensional experience where each view has been checked from all angles to enrich the user’s journey through the house.
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