Void Space/Hinged Space Housing

From hinged space to the silence of void space. Four active north facing voids interlock with four quiet south facing voids to bring a sense of the sacred into domestic life. To ensure emptiness, the south voids are flooded with water, generating flickering reflections. The 28 apartment interiors are conceptualized as “hinged space,” a modern interpretation of the multi-use concept of traditional Fusuma. Diurnal hinging allows expansion of the living area during the day, reclaimed by bedrooms at night. Episodic hinging reflects change in family over time; rooms can be added or subtracted accommodating grown-up children leaving or elderly parents moving in. A sense of passage is heightened by three types of access, by allowing apartments to have exterior front doors, and by interlocking apartments like a complex Chinese box.