擊壤設計 黃明威建築師事務所

Site Plan
Aoyama Dian Dian Residence is located in Lane 237, Wuquan 5th Street, in the western district of Taichung City, with a base area of about 133 ping, and the use zoning is the second type of residential area, with a 60% built-up rate and a 220% plot ratio. Since the shape of the base is a trapezoidal contour that is wide in the west and narrow in the east, the configuration of the standard floor plan is close to the L-shape double merger, and the vertical elevator service core is placed at the corner of the L-shape, so that all the households can enjoy the natural lighting and ventilation of the three sides. The height of the building is one floor below ground and six floors above. The ground floor is a stair hall and parking space, the second to sixth floors are residential units, and the roof level is a public utility level with an open-air teahouse and a vegetable garden.
 
Residential Units 
The standard residential units of this project are divided into single-storey and multi-storey units, with the size of each unit being set at around 70 ping to cater for the different orientations of the site as well as the different living conditions. The owner, Natural Red House, tries to develop a spatial format that is different from that of the general market, and after long-term observation and testing of the living styles of Chinese people and visiting successful cases of introducing natural and organic living styles into metropolitan residences overseas, it develops the idea of integrating “food, housing, and agriculture”, and therefore sets the kitchen and dining space, “Sanxi Dining Hall”, as the core living space of the unit, with open kitchens and multi-functional table tops to coalesce and strengthen the family's interaction with each other. The open kitchen and multi-functional tabletop are designed to bring together and strengthen the face-to-face communication between family members. The “Sun Room” is a semi-outdoor work terrace with a soup kitchen-like function that enlarges the proportion of the space, making the space for housework and cleaning more spacious and bright, and the mood of work more pleasant. For the duplex residential unit, in addition to the space mentioned above, a large balcony is added across the floors, and trees are planted on the balcony by utilizing the tree holes on the descending slab, so that the L-shaped planes of the upper and lower floors can be surrounded by the feeling of a “courtyard in the sky”.
 
Architectural Design 
Due to the small size and irregular shape of the site, the design strategy of the building form is to emphasize the continuity of horizontal bands of balconies and window openings, to eliminate the sense of separation formed by vertical walls or volumes between the elevator halls and the subdivided units of a typical residential building. The large curved balconies also help to eliminate the corners of the L-shaped volume, giving the building a more holistic appearance. The exterior wall finishes are simple, with two weather-resistant paints, white and faux water, emphasizing the horizontal sculpture of the building. Vertical lines are outlined by a delicate shuttle-shaped section of metal grille, creating a sparkling and lively expression on the sunny side of the east side, which is expected to bring a touch of novelty to the older and heavier texture of the neighboring community.