ALL PHOTO BY YUKINORI OKAMURA
GRAPHIC WORK BY MAKI REI（OrganicDesign INC)
BUILDER GUNPOH INDUSTRIES Co.,Ltd .
街の「縁側」を担う建物として ~エンハコビル~
エンハコ（縁箱）ビルは、都心のベッドタウンの郊外の市町村に位置し、駅から徒歩15分くらいの住居エリアと商業・官公庁エリアのエッジ（境界）にあります。敷地が幹線道路から１ブロック引いた位置にあり、駅近の好立地ではないけれど、テナント商業ビルとして人の流れを掴めるか？というところを施主から相談され、本計画を提案しました。
平日は、高齢者、主婦、子供たちが様々な目的でこの上記２エリアのエッジを行ったり来たりしています。商業エリアには、高齢者が通うクリニックや整骨院・福祉施設、主婦が集うスーパーやカフェ、子供たちが通う学習塾などの施設が混在しています。
休日は、ファミリーが市役所駐車場で行われる「朝市」に出かけ、大きな公園で過ごして、カフェやファミレスで食事をしながら、住居エリアに戻っていきます。
そういう住居エリアと商業・官公庁エリアのエッジに存在し、行き交う市民の「止まり木」となり、街の人に親しんでもらえ、「一休みできる縁側」をもつ建物の計画をしようと考ました。
エンハコビルは、平日と休日の人の動きが、共に流動しているエリアです。
エンハコビル周辺の状況は、駅前などのように大きな流動が望めないながら、確実に地域住民の移動が発生していることに着眼し、道なりに縁側、そして立体縁側のバルコニーを設け、温もりのある木質感かつ有機的な形をしたササラの軒下を作ることで、近づきたいと思うような工夫を施し、最終的にそれがこのビルのデザインを担っています。
建物からは公園緑地、市庁舎などが並木通りを介して望めるように北向きにし、夏の祭りや植木市などを感じられるようにしました。建物の用途は、店舗兼クリニックの複合用途ビルであり、老若男女が平日、休日ともに住居エリアと商業エリアを往来した際に、立ち寄っていけるよう縁側で街に手を差し伸べているかのようにしました。
このように地域内発的な街の住民に支えられて成立できる商業ビルを目指したのです。
施設内は、機能・インフラを求めに応じて、一括貸・フロア貸・個別貸が選択できるように設計されています。
This building is named En-hako BLDG which means ENGAWA + HAKO.
The ”Engawa” means the traditional Japanese terrace in old days, then the HAKO means the BOX SHAPE.
This structure have simply 2 essences, one is the Japanese traditional terrace (Engawa) in the city and another is the BOX shape building (HAKO).
We tranceformed the Engawa as contemporary form in the city.
Normally the commercial building are likely to success in front of Stations, however this commercial building located apart from station. We tried a building that can develop spontaneously in the city as a commercial building.
Concept : A perch at the edge of a residential neighborhood
The Enhaco Building is located between residential neighborhoods and a commercial/government area in the suburbs of a commuter town, about a 15-minute walk from the train station, where older residents, homemakers, and children come and go during the week for various purposes.
Many places that draw the residents are nestled among offices and corporate or government buildings here. Senior citizens go to osteopathic clinics, other doctors’ offices, or a community center, housewives to cafés or grocery stores, and children to tutoring services or other destinations.
On weekends, families spend time browsing at the local morning market in the city hall parking lot, strolling through a spacious park, or eating at cafés or restaurants before heading back home.
At this boundary where such urban attractions await, we sought to provide a perch – literally, on verandas where people can relax for a moment – and a familiar landmark for the community.
It was insightful to consider people’s movement at this place where people are coming and going both during the week and on weekends.
The surroundings do not allow for the kind of foot traffic at train stations or other crowded sites, but there is certainly an ebb and flow from the community.
Thus, the building itself has a roadside veranda covered by balconies that are like a pair of elevated, undulating verandas themselves. From below, these form wooden eaves with enticing, organic shapes that draw people nearer to the building.
It faces north, providing a vantage on park greenery, city hall, and other sights across the boulevard. The atmosphere of summer festivals, plant fairs, and other lively local events is tangible from here.
Zoned for medical and retail offices, the Enhaco Building with its inviting veranda was designed as if it were reaching out to the neighborhood, beckoning one and all to stop by on their way between residential and commercial areas through the week.
Functionality and infrastructure are required within the facility, which has been designed to offer a choice between renting the entire building, specific floors, or specific units.
Text by Hideo Kumaki (Organic Design Inc.)
