BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Exterior PhotographyBASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Table, ChairBASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Dining room, Table, WindowsBASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Kitchen, TableBASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - More Images+ 8

  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  281
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2020
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Yurika Kono
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  AGORABRIX, Creation Baumann, Daiko, LIXIL , TOKYOKOEI, Toli Corporation
  • Lead Architects: Hiroyuki UNEMORI, Chie KONNO, Yuki ISHII, Ayaka TOMARI
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BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Exterior Photography
© Yurika Kono

Text description provided by the architects. This is a renovation project of an entire building that had been built in 1964 in Asakusabashi, a district where wholesale businesses specializing in leather and decorative materials are concentrated. It is an office space shared between teco and Unemori Architects.

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Image 13 of 13
Section

What is the significance of gathering and working together in the age of coronavirus? And what kind of space is needed for that purpose? With these questions in mind, we held a design competition between the two firms to deepen our thoughts. Our idea was to let people circulate freely and activate the entire building by using four floors as common areas accommodating a meeting space, kitchen and restroom, while each of the two offices maintains its own base of operations separately on the remaining floors. It was not possible to create an atrium across the floors, because it was a reinforced concrete building for rent and also because of seismic performance issues. Therefore, we gave unique characteristics to each space while clearly defining the concept of each floor.

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Yurika Kono

First Floor: SQUARE  

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Table, Chair
© Yurika Kono

The first floor was designed as an open corner site in the city so that we can actively take part in community events including the Torigoe Shrine festival. The front facade was renovated from aluminum sashes to wooden sashes, and the mechanism was changed so that the windows can be fully opened. We also made a large kitchen which we hope to utilize for various activities, such as inviting people to open a one-day restaurant on a regular basis, in addition to using it for our daily cooking.

Second Floor: GARDEN

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Table
© Yurika Kono
BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Dining room, Table, Windows
© Yurika Kono

This district dominated by many wholesale stores lacks urban green spaces and wide sidewalks. In order to create a place to rest with a sense of nature in our workplace, we decided to remove some of the external fittings to make a naturally ventilated garden. As a measure against rain and wind, the floors are waterproofed along the perimeter and finished with large tiles. By incorporating these outdoor spaces in our daily lives, we experience the joy, as well as the difficulties, of maintaining them and think about how we can continue to use them as a place for experimentation.

Third Floor: teco 

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Closet, Shelving, Table, Chair
© Yurika Kono

Fourth Floor: UNEMORI Architects

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Table, Shelving, Chair, Windows
© Yurika Kono

We installed model shelves above the large openings on two sides in order to maximize the use of the floor as a work space.

Fifth Floor: LIBRARY

It is a floor dedicated to books, where you can read books and back issues of magazines. You can take off your shoes and relax on the carpeted floor.

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Interior Photography, Wood
© Yurika Kono

Sixth Floor: SKY

We laid an outdoor deck on this floor closest to the sky, and placed a restroom covered with a tent in this semi-outdoor setting.

Since there are various connecting points with outside and nature as well as a kitchen and a restroom in common areas, we make new discoveries each time we go up and down the building on a daily basis. In addition, we are thinking of ways to activate SQUARE, the first-floor space facing the street. We are hoping to develop it further through trial and error from now on.

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates - Exterior Photography
© Yurika Kono

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Project location

Address:Asakusabashi, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0053, Japan

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates" 28 Mar 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/959158/base-office-unemori-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

© Yurika Kono

东京商业街办公改造 / Unemori Architects

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