Otsuma Women's University Kaga dormitory

｜DATA

• Design: Hirotaka Sato, Kentaro Nagasawa, Ryohei Tsutsui
• Site: Ichigaya Kaga-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
• Purpose: Dormitory
• Structure: RC structure, 6 floors above ground, 1 floor below ground
• Site area: 3467.23m2
• Building area: 1,948.39m2
• Total floor area: 9,458.39m2
• Completion: 2015.03
• Design: Hirotaka Sato Architectural Design Office Maeda Corporation
• Construction: Maeda Corporation
• Lighting: Kazuhiro Kawamura, Sora Associates
• Exterior: Mindscape Hiroshi Yanagihara
• Business Planning: Delta Capital Investments
• Management: GSAM
• Photo: Hirotaka Sato

｜CONCEPT

Reconstruction of the 72-year-old Kaga Dormitory of Otsuma Women's University, which was located on the old Kunio Yanagida residential area. This former residence site is set as a cultural property designated by Shinjuku Ward as a historic site related to Kunio Yanagida.

Our team was selected through a comprehensive business competition to build a new student dormitory on this historic site, from design to construction and operation.
The building is a reinforced concrete structure with one basement floor and six floors above ground, with a total floor area of approximately 9,400 square meters. There are 253 private rooms (for 1 person) and 17 shared rooms (for 6 people) for a total of 270 rooms, which can accommodate about 350 people.

The design was based on the philosophy of "not just a place to live, but a place that encourages student growth."
At its core is the idea of shared spaces. The dormitory room volume is divided into three buildings in the north-south direction, and the shared volume runs east-west. In the shared volume, an open kitchen and lounge are integrated with the daily flow line. This common space can be used not only for various educational programs, but also as a place to promote lively exchanges and improve communication skills that are essential in society.

Four courtyards with seasonal plants were set up between each building. The arrangement surrounding this courtyard makes it possible to feel the seasons and nature from the inside.

The façade, which is set back from the road in a stepped fashion, greatly reduces the feeling of pressure on the neighborhood. In addition, we planted a wide variety of plants with a sense of the season, and combined with the deep unglazed border tiles, we have created a calm atmosphere suitable for a quiet townscape.

Another theme was to create a facility where students coming from rural areas to Tokyo can feel the comfort of a warm "home" rather than simply a functional and comfortable student dormitory.
The entrance hall uses plenty of wood to create a soft atmosphere. The glass-enclosed common area on each floor illuminates the ceiling with indirect lighting, and the light seen from the road is intended to make you feel the warmth of "home" when you come home.