Kiyotoshi Mori + Natsuko Kawamura / MDS

Because this project is located on a small lot with a narrow frontage (5m x 16m) in the center of Tokyo, it was important to find a way to make the walls as thin as possible while also layering on multiple stories. Another goal was to develop a construction method that was simple and systematic, did not require special technical skills, and controlled the thermal environment despite the thin walls – in other words, a highly versatile construction method that could be used anywhere in the world. The result was a four-story, ten-meter-high structure constructed from light-gauge steel channels fastened together with bolts. Including finishing materials, the walls measure ten centimeters thick.