NEXUS WORLD HOUSING CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY
PROJECT GROUP
FELIX CHAN, SHANZE KAZI, JANICE CHEN
YEAR
2017
This was an in-depth case study, including extensive research and new illustrations, of Nexus World — an unconventional collective housing master plan in the Kashii district of Fukuoka city. Our focus was a design by Rem Koolhaas — a new type of housing that is neither a free-standing house nor a conventional apartment building. We researched Koolhaas's design in context of Japanese history and the overall master plan. We also carefully examined, illustrated, and modeled the buildings to digitally analyse, represent, and diagram their layout and planning.
NEXUS WORLD HOUSING
LOCATION
KASHII DISTRICT, KUKUOKA, JAPAN
ARCHITECT
OMA (REM KOOLHAAS)
COMPLETED
1991
Nexus World is a master plan that aims to break away from the uniform and impersonal convention of collective housing. The 5-hectare area included designs by Oscar Tusquets, Christian de Portzamparc, Osamu Ishiyama, Mark Mack, Steven Holl, and Rem Koolhaas. Arata Isozaki was involved with designing a tower which was to be the centre piece of the project. The site is generally less active and less chaotic than the typical Japanese city. Because of this reason, the master plan contains fairly low perimeter, European style blocks.
Site Plan: Figure Ground
Site Plan: Program
Axonometric
1. OMA Rem Koolhaas
2. Christian de Portzamparc
3. Oscar Tusquets
4. Osamu Ishiyama
5. Mark Mack
6. Steven Holl
7. Arata Isozaki
Axonometric:
Original towers
by Arata Isozaki
Nexus World Housing is wrapped in black rock textured walls that, in elevation, are supposed to represent the base of Isozaki’s tall column like towers that weren’t realized in their original form. The heaviness of these walls blocks out views to the exterior, creating an even stronger feeling of privacy. From the outside the building looks very compact and dark, but the courtyard light wells cut through the units creating gradients of well-lit and aerated public and private spaces within.
STREET ELEVATION
SECTION: W-E
SECTION: S-N
Koolhaas wanted to bring to Japan a new type of housing that was neither a free-standing house nor a conventional apartment building. He challenged the notion of making the building contextually deeply significant to Japanese tradition, and he speculated upon the idea of the 90’s being an age in which a new trans-continental culture could be created.
His final product, completed in 1991, contains 24, 3-storey units packed together to form 2 blocks. Contrasting the compactness of the plan, there are courtyards that cut through the cores of each unit.
Koolhaas took influence from traditional Japanese culture in the creation of his Nexus World project. By lifting the heavy parts of the project above the ground, he seems to mimic the traditional elevated Japanese wooden structures. Another influence or inspiration might have been Ando’s courtyard houses, such as the Azuma House built in 1975. Both projects channel the Japanese concept of being able to create views that can be controlled and altered by ones-self. Some other similarities are the central courtyards, and the very private looking facades. The buildings seem to function without relation to the outside context, creating internal focus.
EXPLODED ISOMETRIC
ROOF
EXPLODED ISOMETRIC: STRUCTURE
UNDERGROUND PARKING
GROUND FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
THIRD FLOOR
LIFTED WALL
UNIT A
UNIT B
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC:
STREET FRONT UNIT TYPE B
ROOF
THIRD FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
GROUND FLOOR
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC:
STANDARD UNIT TYPE A
BONUS:
A fun side project related to this case study was an animation in Houdini. This was our first time using the program. Here is my short video analyzing the layout of the units:
Models made in Rhinoceros 3D.
Scenes lit and rendered in Houdini.
Audio edited in Audacity.
Video edited in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Song used: "Digital Love" by Daft Punk.