TETRAD is a four-unit rental development on the outskirts of Gifu city. The surrounding area can be characterized as a mixed use urban zone hosting housing, rice fields and a golf driving range in the direct vicinity of the building. Each unit is a single family home with two parking spaces and a balcony.
All four residences are placed on the corners of the site with balconies suspended between them, with parking located underneath. This gives all four units maximum privacy inside the house whilst social interaction is possible between the balconies and collective space in the middle of the site. All units have two bedrooms and bathroom located on the first floor whilst the living room and kitchen is located on the second floor and directly connected to the large balcony. With a large window connected directly to the balcony the living room can be extended outward and draws in a lot of light.
The envelope of the 4 houses are characterized by a uniform material approach: walls and roof are constructed with galvanised steel. However each unit has a different slightly different shade, giving the units an individual identity and adding color to the streetscape. By carefully selecting the colors as subdued tones of the natural surroundings, the buildings, which can be seen from the Shinkansen, have become part of the new landscape of the area.
