We were retained by the city of Kitakyushu to study seven sites for new publicly-funded housing to replace run-down apartment blocks built in the Fifties. The new housing is intended to provide important amenities such as individual gardens for each unit and south-facing living spaces and to accommodate contemporary demands for parking. This project develops on those sites in the Kadota neighborhood, bounded on one side by a busy arterial street and on the other by a traditional neighborhood. Working with local architects, city planning staff and community representatives, the site plan was developed to include both high- and low-rise portions, and to create a large central garden.

The high-rise element of the project includes single story units for elderly residents, while the low-rise portions are made up of townhouse units oriented toward families. High rise units are wedge shaped to open to views of the mountains and shorten the access gallery. The townhouse units have private, ground level gardens that connect to the public green.The entire project is linked by an upper level walkway that works with existing topography to connect at grade to community facilities on an adjacent site.