We were retained by the prefectural government to design this publicly-funded housing in the city of Kitakyushu, Japan. The scheme is designed according to strict government standards which dictate room sizes and design modules, and accounts for sun access controls on the site. Our scheme is a variation on the single-loaded corridor typology prevalent in Japanese low-cost housing. By stepping the units in relation to each other, the monotony of a large slab of repetitive housing is relieved, and by offsetting the plans of adjacent floors by one half bay, each unit gets a double-height balcony facing south and a generous entry terrace which acts as a buffer along the corridor.Amenities for the residents include a roof terrace and a community room, as well as extensive gardens on the site. Parking is provided on grade for each unit.The building is constructed in reinforced concrete, and was completed in two phases.