CONIWA is a cooperative housing project located in a suburb of western Tokyo. The name of the building refers to its design; eleven dwellings arranged around a lush courtyard with a wooden boardwalk. ‘Co’ (コ) hinting at the layout and ‘Niwa’ (庭) meaning garden in Japanese.
In this project, the skeleton plan was drawn up first after which the interior design of each individual unit was developed together with the future residents. The units are arranged so that each unit has a large frontage facing south. In order to maximize this frontage and increase the wall span of each unit, arched concrete structures are used. This structure frame has become the main aesthetic feature of the building; defining both the exterior façades and interior spaces.
Each dwellings is placed to face rich outdoor spaces; terraces with wooden boardwalk and green gardens with various plants. These spaces are serve as a quiet oasis for inhabitants and form a privacy barrier. The center courtyard connects these outdoor spaces providing a comfortable collective space that enhances the social fabric between residents.
Unit C is a maisonette unit with a classic American-style interior.