Self-build for public

© Toshihiro Sobajima

Architects: Kazuyuki Takeda

Location: Honkomagome, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0021, Japan

Area: 100.0 sqm

Project Year: 2016

Photographs: Toshihiro Sobajima

Collaborators: Souraku Architects

© Toshihiro Sobajima

Self-build for public There is the vacant house which has formed local community. "House of Komajii" in Komagome of Tokyo opened as a place where local people stay in October, 2013. Because originally this vacant house was a dormitory, the space was divided finely. Therefore about half of the building was a storeroom. When I received the request of the design, The client expected that I released the space of the storeroom in the area, and made the structure for "House of Komajii" to become independent, and rotate. (It is run now without almost taking the fee for use by the kindness of the owner.) I plan to break a wall and enlarge the space, and more people can gather in the first floor and convert the second floor to share office as source of profits.
© Toshihiro Sobajima

I visited the building several times before beginning design. The state of the building was bad and the outdoor stairs got rusty and died, and the finish of the inner wall had come off. But many people gathered in such the building for some reason...