'Kubomi Apartments – a pocket in the city’—as referred to by its architects—is a residential apartment by the Organic Design Inc. in Saitama, located in the Tokyo suburbs. Twelve minutes on foot from the nearest railway station, the apartments are built to accommodate the students and workers from a nearby hospital and nursing school. An abundance of studio apartments in the locality causes a staunch competition for the renters, which the Tokyo-based architectural practice aimed to solve through design. Kubomi Apartments do not use the usual highlighting factors to appeal to tenants—lower rent, more space, or a prime location. Instead, it offers an unconventional identity, aimed at attracting stable renters. The project stands out boldly in its context, deviating considerably in form and design language compared to the local apartment buildings.

The architects employ an organic form to utilise the inconvenient L-shaped site. Two structures connect via a metal screen that curves in response to the project’s design, constructing the cohesiveness of an undivided unit. The screen becomes a part of the built form that wraps around the small courtyard-like public space, which gives the project its name—‘Kubomi’, which loosely translates to ‘pocket’. The courtyard is purposed to provide a sense of community to the inhabitants—a place where residents can sit down and chat or have a snack together.

The studio apartment design considerably deviates from the standard rectangular layout, embracing novelty in design. No two apartments share the same configuration and this allows for each apartment to uniquely belong to its occupant; different bright colours for each unit further enhances the scheme. The wooden herringbone flooring pattern introduces a sense of movement inside the spaces. The eccentric form of the building also allows for more views, light and ventilation, making the residential interiors well-lit and breathable. The windows are irregular— in size and height—playfully scattered across the wall to let in natural light, creating a variety of different patterns across the interior surfaces. The nature of the inhabitants' lifestyle was also carefully accounted for, with elements such as sinks being close to the entrance, allowing medical professionals and nursing students to wash their hands as soon as they arrive. To make the apartments more attractive to occupants, features such as built-in study and reading desks add an extra layer of convenience.

The apartments are single occupancy, providing privacy to their inhabitants. Each unit has sound-insulated floors, walls and ceilings to accommodate the irregular working hours of medical professionals. While an attractive feature, the single occupancy configuration also signals an underlying problem. Single-occupancy apartments aren’t an anomaly but part of a rising trend in Japan, where 38.1 per cent of households belong to single occupants, according to the 2020 census. The high cost of living in the cities, long working hours and the rise in cultural individualism are a few reasons for the trend. Another essential factor for the design of the apartments was the timing of the project—its design process started in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The trend highlights and even accelerates the rising problem of loneliness in Japan, which worsened post-Covid. While in the top 20 most prosperous countries of the Legatum Prosperity Index, which evaluates social and economic well-being globally, Japan ranks 143^rd—out of the 167 countries—in its social capital, which “measures the strength of personal and professional relationships”. It highlights the necessity to take measures against this rising problem.

The apartment layouts embrace privacy of the individuals, while the central courtyard provides an opportunity for nurturing the community. The form of the building gently curves along the road and then into the enclosure—inviting passing pedestrians to look inside, making it more open and accessible. The use of asphalt inside the courtyard as a surface finish further emboldens the connection. “We focused on creating a building that enables single people to live under the same roof with consideration for one another while also fostering communication between renters to prevent isolation,” says Hideo Kumaki, the Japanese architecture firm’s principal architect.

“It is our hope that this apartment building will help society move past standardised dwellings that isolate people from their neighbours and instead encourage relationships that are respectful yet connected through innovative planning," Kumaki comments on the studio’s aim with the urban housing project’s design. This project, while responding to the perpetual market demand for something unique, also poses a question about the rampant development of the standardised residential design that does not consciously respond to the evolving needs of our society. It tells us how everyday residential architecture goes beyond the primary necessity for shelter and holds a defining place in the social and cultural realm. With the rapid rise of technology, which is a fundamental driver in increasing isolation—the problem is especially troubling in technologically advanced countries like Japan. Architecture needs to find its place in proposing solutions that encourage meaningful connections and community sustenance.

The project finds its place amongst anomalous Japanese projects such as Murakoshi House by S Design Farm—which offers a distinctive solution to the common urban residential problems, and A Japanese Manga Artist’s House by Japanese architect Tan Yamanouchi and AWGL—which boasts an atypical identity despite its compactness.

Project Details

Name: Kubomi Apartments – A Pocket in the City
Location: Saitama, Japan
Area: 356.7 sqm
Year of completion: April 2023
Architect: Hideo Kumaki, Rei Maki - Organic Design Inc.
Structural engineer: Murata Ryoma Sekkeisho