"The greatest significance of sharing lies not in shared spaces or facilities, but in shared responsibility," says London-based designer and researcher Xidian Wang on the design philosophy of her MPhil thesis New Domesticity: The Shared Life of Low-Income Single Mother Families in Tokyo. Troubled by the socio-economic challenges and marginalisation of low-income single mothers in Tokyo, Wang’s thesis attempts to empower and uplift them by redefining shared housing, earning a nomination for the RIBA President's Medal and winning the 2024 Azure AZ Award for Social Good and the Azure A+ Award of Merit for Student Work. Envisioning a conceptual client, Mom’s Co-operative, for New Domesticity, Wang proposes a collaboration between stakeholders from public and private sectors to transform under-utilised urban spaces to reshape the lives of single mothers through shared, affordable social housing with a distinct architectural identity that empowers them to claim their space in the city.

According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the country has been seeing an increase in single-mother households primarily due to the rising divorce rates, which most probably result in the mothers getting full custody of the children. Lack of child support from the fathers, lack of public funding and prevalent gender discrimination in the workspace are some of the major factors that contribute to their poor economic, mental and physical state. Wang underlines the intensively stressful lifestyle of low-income single mothers due to daily double shifts of paid work and unpaid care work, where they relentlessly commute to make ends meet and fulfil maternal responsibilities. Single mothers seldom receive any support from public and private bodies, as well as society in general, as they do not fit into the conventional family structure imposed by Japanese society. Shunned, ignored and marginalised, a considerable portion of single mothers in Tokyo take shelter in affordable internet cafes and pleasure dormitories that offer relatively better wages than most jobs available to them, along with affordable accommodation, necessary facilities and free childcare.

Having a background in psychology and architecture, Wang’s approach to design stems from the interrelationship between people and spaces. “At the core of this project is my passion for humanism. I see architecture as a powerful tool for change,” Wang tells STIR. “While it might not tackle specific issues like hunger or poverty directly, it can create positive environments that genuinely impact people’s lives,” she states. During her two months of fieldwork in Tokyo, Wang met several single mothers and learned about their stories and living conditions, which led her to visit and study the NPO-facilitated shared houses. As she studied the characteristics of traditional Japanese residential housing models such as minka, machiya, and nagaya, she found that the 1945 post-war suburban layout danchi brought the concept of nuclear family housing in Japan and isolated mothers in their own homes.

Isolated housing creates a disconnect from urban spaces and adds to the social isolation and discrimination that single mothers endure. “As I walked the streets of Tokyo, I couldn’t help but think that if internet cafés can provide overnight stays, showers, laundry and even free meals, why can’t we design a safe and comfortable space just for those who can’t afford rent,” Wang tells STIR. The Shinjuku ward has the most government-funded facilities and dormitories for single mothers in Tokyo despite its reputation as a pleasure district. “I was frankly a bit daunted at first—how the neon lights of Kabukicho blended in with the shadows and the messy streets—it was hard enough to roam the streets at night alone and even harder to imagine this environment as an ideal site for childcare,” mentions Wang in a field note dated August 29, 2022, from Shinjuku’s entertainment district Kabukicho. “However, what struck me was the diversity and boundless potential of Shinjuku. Hidden among department stores and skyscrapers were skinny buildings, fitting themselves within every possible corner and crack.”

As one of the most diverse areas of the city, Shinjuku offers multiple typologies of voids in urban planning that can be utilised to accommodate marginalised communities. Wang identifies five distinct site typologies, named akiyas, gaps, edges, infills and underused all over Shinjuku for her proposed interventions. According to Wang’s research, vacant houses or akiyas makeup almost one per cent of all the residences in Shinjuku and could be renovated in association with the government. The gaps or overlooked urban voids between existing buildings could be used to construct extension spaces and the edges of public plots could be used to accommodate single mothers in compact homes. The infills are the ungoverned, leftover spaces created due to non-uniform planning of plots and the underused public buildings in the city could be utilised for designing community living spaces for the mothers. These typical spaces can visually vary in person and bespoke design measures can be taken for optimal solutions.

To create an architectural identity in the urban design fabric of Shinjuku, she insists on three approaches for distinct spatial design. Afuredashi or non-defined spaces can potentially promote informal interactions and foster relationships, addressing the lack of access and inclination towards communal spaces. Mixing or live-work arrangements can allow single mothers to manage working and parenting efficiently, minimising the struggle of daily commutes and workplace discrimination. Adding or architectural extension of existing structures can lead to further utilisation of already occupied plots in the city, creating opportunities for increased social interaction for single mothers.

Wang’s passion for the project is evident from the thorough research she has conducted for all facets of the project. The proposed social design could potentially reduce social isolation and lessen the financial and domestic burden on single mothers, while helping them form a stronger sense of identity, thrive in their interdependence and become an organic part of the community. “Architects need to step up and collaborate with social activists and government officials to empower these women,” implores Wang. “Together, we can create real social change, ensuring they not only have a place to live but also the dignity and happiness they deserve in this city”, she concludes. Wang hopes for the project to become an ideal model that uplifts single-mother households through co-managed live-work housing, where they can support one another by sharing domestic work, childcare duties and small businesses.