Residential Care Unit by Sou Fujimoto Architects

Located on a gently sloping hillside in Date-shi overlooking the seascape of Hokkaido, the Residential Care Unit is a meandering buildings cluster designed as a dormitory for the mentally disabled.

Architects: Sou Fujimoto Architects
Location: Date-shi, Hokkaido, Japan
Photographs: Daici Ano, Courtesy of Sou Fujimoto

The buildings are simply articulated in black profiled cladding on both walls and roof, 11 box units (5.4 X 5.4m) linked by 10 Interstitial triangular spaces, providing accommodation for up to twenty mental health patients.

Three roof types–flat, mono-pitch and ridge–and three-story heights further articulate each unit’s form, adding complexity to the building’s silhouette as it descends the subtle gradient of the site.

Inspiration from architect:

This form generates a wide variety of spaces, of shapes and sizes, gaps, dead-ends, nooks and crannies, creating a series of in-between places where people may be naturally inclined to find refuge.