
The standard boxy shape of apartment complexes has stayed the same for decades… until now. In an effort to shake things up a bit, Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto designed an entirely new way to unite families in co-habitational units.

Fujimoto designed nine complete apartments, each with their own four walls, floor and roof, stacked rather precariously on top of each other at odd angles. The separation of the units is a new and exciting idea in multi-dwelling architecture and construction. It allows for additional privacy, less noise transference, and gives each lessee singular views of the surrounding landscape, not to mention the feeling of having a single unit all to themselves.

The apartments are connected through beams and supports, which can be seen in the spaces between the units. Each unit gets their own pitched roof with a skylight. Even though the apartments were built with complete separation and privacy in mind, they are joined by a central outdoor stair system that connects all units to each other.

Each unit has been finished with white walls and light-colored wooden floors to make the space feel larger than it is. The effort to save space in such tight quarters is evident through features like the pass-through from the first floor to the loft, with a ladder in the place of the traditional staircase and landing design.

The modest bathroom set-up in the corner of the bedroom is partitioned off by glass panels. Beautiful work!

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