Why Japanese Architects Carve Parking into Tiny Urban Homes
In Tokyo, architects are innovatively blending parking solutions into home designs by creating voids within buildings instead of traditional garages. A prime example is Atelier Tekuto's Reflection of Mineral, built in 2006 on a 44.62-square-meter plot, which includes a recessed area at street level for car storage. This design meets height restrictions and maximizes living space. Under Japan's 1962 parking law, off-street parking must be within two kilometers, but it doesn't have to be on the property. Additionally, up to one-fifth of the total area can be excluded from floor-area-ratio calculations for parking. Earlier noteworthy designs include Takamitsu Azuma's Tower House from 1966 and Atelier Bow-Wow's Mini House from 1999.
Key facts
- Atelier Tekuto's Reflection of Mineral (2006) is built on a 44.62-square-meter plot in Tokyo with a car-sized void at street level.
- Japan's Act on Assurance of Car Parking Spaces and Other Matters (1962) requires off-street parking within two kilometers of the vehicle's principal use.
- Parking areas can be excluded from floor-area-ratio calculations up to one-fifth of a building's total floor area.
- Takamitsu Azuma's Tower House (1966) is a six-level home on a 20-square-meter site in central Tokyo.
- Atelier Bow-Wow's Mini House (1999) extends its upper volume to allow a car beneath, named after a miniskirt.
- Atelier Tekuto's OH House (2010) uses a mesh steel parking platform that lets daylight through to the lower level.
- Sou Fujimoto's House NA (2011) features a covered carport at street level within a transparent steel frame.
- In Japanese cities, less than 60% of households own passenger vehicles, compared with nearly 80% in regional areas.
Entities
Artists
- Yasuhiro Yamashita
- Takamitsu Azuma
- Yoshiharu Tsukamoto
- Junichi Sampei
- Sou Fujimoto
- Naomi Pollock
Institutions
- Atelier Tekuto
- Atelier Bow-Wow
- A.L.X.
- designboom
- Phaidon
- Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association
Locations
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Niigata