Project Details
- Project Name
- Takarazuka
- Architect
- BAR Architects
- Client/Owner
- Half Century More
- Project Types
- Multifamily
- Project Scope
- New Construction
- Size
- 325,000 sq. feet
- Shared by
- Geo Coelho
- Consultants
-
Architect of Record: Asai Architectural Research,Interior Designer: BAMO,Interior Designer: ODC/A (Skilled Nursing),Landscape Architect: SWA Group,Construction contractor: Obayashi Kumi
- Project Status
- Built
- Style
- Transitional
Project Description
Located in a prestigious mountainside community above Osaka, the Sun City Palace Takarazuka is a 285-unit independent living community providing luxury accommodations for Japan’s maturing population.
The 7-acre site, previously flattened to accommodate a sports field, has a 3-story, 10 meter height limit— an extremely challenging constraint given the client’s need to maximize site density. BAR re-terraced the site to take advantage of code provisions that allowed for the development of a 6-story, 20-meter high building 'nestled' into the hillside. To achieve the unit density, BAR developed three enclosed courtyards and two open courtyards. The building was rotated 45 degrees on the site allowing all units to be facing southeast or southwest to maximize daylight, an important design requirement for marketing homes in Japan.
Capitalizing on the site's natural features, BAR designed the complex so one enters the site at the top of the hill and drives through a forested grove of trees prior to entering the auto court. This gives the impression of a relaxed drive into a secluded resort, despite the fact that the project has an extremely high density.