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ban Life Design Competition UR ■Foreword Shuichi MATSUMURA Project Professor, University of Tokyo / Chairman, Subcommittee for Conservation and Utilization of UR Housing Complex, Architectural Institute of Japan “Danchi”, a housing complex with affordable apartment buildings/houses typically built as public housing by government authorities, rapidly spread nationwide from the 1960s onward during the high economic growth period of Japan. Before long, these housing complexes became the common living space and urban landscape of Japan. Half a century later, many of these housing complexes have been rebuilt and transformed into a new space. Akabanedai Danchi, opened for use in 1962 by the Japan Housing Corporation (JHC; current UR) which played a central role in the construction of housing complexes during the postwar period, is no exception. Despite being a large-scale housing complex with more than 1,000 units, the first of its kind within the Tokyo 23 wards, the reconstruction begun in 2000 and many of the original buildings have gone out of sight. Fortunately, three Star House buildings and one rectilinear-type building in the southeast block remained for this Project. Today, this area has become an important place that conveys the original form of Akabanedai Danchi at the time of completion. Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) placed importance to this and submitted an architectural conservation request to UR in July 2018. Conservation and utilization of the four buildings were determined in September 2019 and thereafter certified as the Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan. Consequently, UR commissioned to AIJ for the “Research and Study on the development of information transmission base and utilization of conserved buildings at Akabanedai Danchi”. In October 2019, a partnership agreement was concluded between the parties, and established the “Subcommittee for Conservation and Utilization of UR Housing Complex” within the AIJ. This architectural design competition was conceived based on the discussions made in the Subcommittee as one of the methods to utilize the housing blocks registered as the Tangible Cultural Properties. Half a century ago when the population composition was young and economy continued to grow at a high rate in Japan, a housing complex was the center for making new lifestyle for the future. Today, conserved housings of Akabanedai Danchi that stand before us convey the dreams we envisioned 50 years ago. While the buildings and surroundings are now a mere shell of themselves, I am very interested to learn what kind of future-oriented living features will be incorporated by people who live in the year 2021. We sincerely look forward to receiving various proposals filled with possibilities. 1 ■ Theme of the competition: Future Living beyond Star House These days, during the Coronavirus crisis, daily living has been significantly affected and a new mode of living has been called into consideration. As we spend more time at home, while telework or remote work has become widespread, the modality of choice for ʻlivingʼ with our family has been under review. When the people started to concentrate in the cities back in the period of rapid economic growth, new “Danchi” or a housing complexes were built and defined the standard of living. Likewise, 'living' is now discussed its way of being, beyond overcoming today's hardship. Akabanedai Danchi was built as the first large-scale housing complex in Tokyo 23 wards during the period of rapid economic growth. “Star House (star-shaped apartment building)” caused a stir in the new form of living. “Star House” has not been a standard housing type. But yet, it certainly was a cutting edge proposal, going ahead of the times. We want to pass on the Star House's high motive, re-design our way of living beyond the ʻstandard livingʼ, and envisage how ʻfuture living in a housing complexʼ should be in the society after going through this difficult time. We are calling for innovative ideas showcasing how the historic characteristic Y-shaped Star House would be renovated, including the relationship with newly rebuilt “Nouvelle Akabanedai” Danchi and suggestions for housing complex rejuvenation. These new ideas and suggestions are expected to explore “the true nature of living” in the future. 2 ■Message to Entrants of Competition ◎ Jury Chairperson Yoko KINOSHITA Professor, Kogakuin University / Principal, ADH Architects Akabanedai Danchi is known as the masterpiece of layout among the housing complexes developed by JHC. The Star Houses were then arranged at the major locations to provide impact to the monotonous streetscape of housing complexes. Three of such Star House buildings and one rectilinear- type building were certified as the “Initial Stage Urban Type Housing Complex” of the “Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (structure)” in December 5, 2019. Accordingly, the postwar JHC reinforced concrete (RC) housing became one of the modern cultural heritage. It can be well said that this has led to present the “housing complex heritage” approach as one of the directions for regenerating housing complexes. In terms of our lifestyle, what was “ordinary” is no longer the “ordinary”, and it keeps reforming by creating a new “ordinary (=standard)”. Alike how the JTC housing complexes presented the “prototype of housing” of postwar period, the Japanese society is currently seeking for a new “prototype of housing”. We are truly excited that this competition will become a great opportunity to consider about our future living, with new keywords such as “telework” and “social distancing” which became familiar during the Coronavirus crisis, as well as “well-ventilated living environment” that was once the “ordinary”. ◎ Jury Members Akira TAKAYAMA Theater Director / Professor, Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts A dwelling can be interpreted as a “vessel” for daily conduct of people. On Photo by Yuji OKU the contrary, such daily conduct can be determined by a shape of the “vessel”. In such case, what kind of “vessel” can generate a daily conduct peculiar to housing complexes? What kind of “vessel” can revitalize the joy to live in a housing complex and the liveliness where people gather? I look forward to plans with ingenuity and originality in this sense. 3 Miori BABA Chairperson, NPO Minami Boso Republic Following the rapid change of lifestyle in the recent years, architecture is also shifting. This sequence feels as though the underlying arrogance of architecture ‒ the idea that “new design is what leads the change of living” ‒ is being interrupted. The reason why Star Houses still remain today may also come from a view from the same horizon. I hope to see plans with the spirit towards this continuing but unpredictable future. Noriyuki TAJIMA Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Creative Engineering, Chiba Institute of Technology / Director and Principal Architect, Tele-design Inc. Among all the housing complexes, Star House is characteristic of a foresighted open plan. The floor plan gives an open feeling with three directions facing the outside. Today, due to the Coronavirus crisis, the nature of living is being reconsidered. Please propose a future of how living should be, not just a place to come home to sleep, but a place where insatiable living can be had all through the time; from morning to night and from spring to winter. Sonoko YORITA Deputy Mayor, Kita City Government of Tokyo At the time of construction, Akabanedai Danchi was a dreamhouse for common people, and Star House was developed as an experimental model housing. I am very excited to know how this living space at the Star House will be transformed. While taking into consideration of the current social environmental changes, we look forward to new ideas projecting future trends. In addition to design and cultural traits, I am looking forward to a brand-new living space the moment you open the door. Takito NIIDA Vice President, Urban Renaissance Agency (UR) While inheriting the housing complex environment that is a regional asset, UR promotes to regenerate housing complexes that can repair or rebuild housings and introduce new functions to achieve “sustainable and vigorous 4 regional and urban development”. By utilizing the attractiveness of the housing complex, I wish to consider together on a new way of living that meets the technological innovation, new life services, creation of community and the New Normal. ■Organizer: Urban Renaissance Agency (UR) ■Co-host: Architectural Institute of Japan ■Support: Kita City Government of Tokyo ■Contact information "URban Life Design Competition" Secretariat (URLinkage Co. Ltd., nominated by UR, makes arrangements for this competition) Telephone: +81-3-3644-0031 10:00am - 5:00pm (JST)(except Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) E-mail: compe@ur-net.go.jp * We cannot respond to inquiries about the evaluation results and complaints. 5 ■ About "Akabanedai Danchi" 1) Akabanedai Danchi Site area: 18.5ha Number of units: Start of management: (former) 3,373 1962 2) Nouvelle Akabanedai Site area: 11.2ha Number of units: Start of management: 2,114 2006 Former Akabanedai Danchi has been located on a hill above JR Eastʼs Akabane station, whose site used to be the army clothing branch depo (which was taken over by the U.S. army for a while after the World War Ⅱ). It was URʼs first housing complex with over 3,000 units in central Tokyo 23 wards. While being planned as a relatively densely arranged area, the project developed varied layout plans and architectural plans, employed various design approaches with a variety of housing types, and eliminated electrical poles on the site (laying power lines underground). It was an urban-type housing complex which posed an ideal model for Tokyo metropolitan city. The redevelopment project was embarked on in 2000, and a number of buildings have been rebuilt into Nouvelle Akabanedai. In 2019, four buildings, including Star House, were officially registered as the first-ever ʻRegistered tangible cultural properties (structure)ʼ housing complex.