Casa Legato
CASA LEGATO
Hugo Kohno Architect Associates
ARCHITECTS
Hugo Kohno Architect Associates
PHOTOGRAPHS
Seiichi Ohsawa
AREA
196 m²
YEAR
2025
LOCATION
Tokyo, Japan
CATEGORY
Apartments
English description provided by the architects.
This plan for this residential complex, which includes 11 maisonette units, was based around a system of nested spaces: the "Void Core" as a conduit for light and air; the "Space" as the primary living zone; the "Buffer," formed by corridors and stairs; and the "Case," which envelops the living areas.
The site lies adjacent to a railway line and within a dense residential area. This meant the design needed to ensure not only privacy and noise reduction but also sufficient daylight and ventilation.
At the same time, the design also sought adaptability to individual lifestyles.
While rental housing is often characterized by standardized floor plans that neglect contextual responsiveness, this complex creates a tailored environment that enables residents to both assert their individuality and feel at home.
The design was themed around the creation of private living spaces capable of accommodating diverse circumstances and conditions.
The multilayered composition incorporates the exterior environment, endowing the living space with spatial depth and resonance.
Residential complexes often carry the drawback of physical and psychological proximity between units—an issue this project addresses through spatial structuring.
Primary living areas, such as the living/dining/kitchen areas and bedrooms, are surrounded by the Buffer," composed of stairwells, storage areas, and other spaces, which regulates the relationship with the exterior.
At points, the living zone expands outward into this Buffer, creating variety within the space as well as subtle connections to the outside.
Bathrooms and other wet areas are placed between units to create an additional layer of separation and privacy.
The Void Core, positioned at the center of the building, channels light and wind to enhance the living environment while simultaneously shaping the architecture's outward expression.
The Buffer smoothly balances the protection of privacy and environmental performance. Stairs, which in many projects function solely for circulation, here serve as devices that temper the impact of the external environment, improving acoustic, luminous, and thermal comfort.
Because the building avoids monotonous repetition of units, residents gain more opportunities to imagine and create their own style of living, while owners benefit from enhanced value.
By dividing the building into two volumes, a lane-like passage is drawn into the site, allowing even the central units, which typically feel enclosed or cut off, to incorporate elements of the external environment.
This division, combined with canopies that articulate the first and upper floors, also prevents the scale from overwhelming the surrounding low-rise buildings.
In the maisonette units that encompass the third floor, the stairs were conceived as more than mere linear connectors—they expand at intermediate points, creating detached annex-like spaces that complement the primary living areas.
Viewed from the exterior, this gives rise to a distinctive visual articulation of projecting walls, adding a sense of lightness to the overall volume.
