This project entails the conversion of a 19-year old office building overlooking the Shibaura Canal into a rental apartment and SOHO building. Conversion of an existing building into housing is being carried out as a business method for easing the oversupply of office space, as well as being an ecofriendly method for avoiding scrap and build. In recent years, much importance is being placed on this method. By making the most of the image of the Shibaura town, the appealing location alongside the canal, and the 3.8-meter floor-height, the aim was for a feeling of openness and uniqueness. A design plan arousing the creativity of the residents has been presented, proposing new lifestyles.
Although Shibaura is in the middle of the capital, the area has a unique environment with warehouses and canals, and in recent years, many television production companies and advertising companies have opened offices in the area, making it an area where creative people have come together. With these people as the main target, the aim was to present a "place where new culture accumulates," by fusing the accumulated "memories" and "creations.“
The keywords for the project were "bold" (meaning "standing out," "large-boned," and "rich with imagination") and "bare" (meaning "exposed," "simple," and "jagged"). With the interior, the rough appearances of the existing frames were left as they were, and other materials were added, such as exposed piping, Nepalese hand-made paper, Chinese granite, as well as very thick wood decks. By painting the existing interior and exterior brownish-red tiles black and white, the image of the existing building has been rejuvenated by making the most of the quality feeling. Also, the units are designed to meet the requirements of various types of residents, by choosing to install such things as large, passenger and cargo elevators, wide entrance doorways, and soundproof flooring materials, so people can even take large motorcycles into the units.
Areas rich with variations, such as "coastal loft residences," "garage life," and "rider's house," have been designed to provide the residents with a life space which can fully satisfy their interests, and the exterior appearance has been rejuvenated to create a new atmosphere along the Shibaura Canal.