Project Description
Cielia City Akashi Okubo is a residential development which includes three mid-rise residential towers, a Community Building, automated parking garages, and a neighborhood park within a garden-like setting. The Community Building serves as a common amenity facility for the entire 810 units in Cielia City Development. This design proposal for the Community Building was selected through the design competition process conducted by City of Akashi for JR Akashi Okubo Station Development.
With the current world context, spatial quality of amenities for this type of residential development has become extremely competitive to be attractive in the market. In this project, the Community Building provides opportunities for recreation and socialization while connecting people, creating a visual and physical node as a landmark within the community.
Selecting wood as building structure and expressing as finish throughout the project is essential to create a unique landmark as well as a sense of place. The Community Building represents the feeling of friendliness, welcoming, open and lightness. Structural wood members are over-sized to meet Fire Code by utilizing a special provision of the code which adds the burn thickness to required size. The wood trellis behind exterior glazing serves as shear walls for lateral without interrupting the transparency expressed through the exterior skin. Exterior window walls are finished with wood while minimizing wood header size. The large eave is double-cantilevered to 18 feet which achieves a visual impact as a landmark. Underside of the eave forms complex parabolic slope, an element which adds a unique character to the design and requires significant accuracy in construction. Wood deck layered with circular landscape on the south expands the visual connection to exterior circulation space and further engages residents for social activities such as annual events.
Public spaces such as Meeting Rooms and Lounge with adjacent Library are located on the First Floor where transparency and openness is critical. Guest Rooms, Children’s Play Room, Party Room with Kitchen, Home Theater and Music Studio are located on the second floor where the security is easily provided.