R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE has completed the renovation of Fuu Oimachi by LATIERRA, a former corporate dormitory in the Oimachi area of Tokyo, transforming it into a rental residence with integrated communal facilities. The project marks the first renovation and conversion within the LATIERRA urban rental housing series developed by Tokyo Gas Real Estate.
Originally built in 1991 as a women’s corporate dormitory, the building contained administrative and communal functions on the ground floor, with 52 private units of approximately 20 square metres each on the upper floors. During the renovation, the removal of former management functions freed up space that could be reorganised for residents, allowing former administrative and service areas to become a series of shared spaces.
The renovation did not follow a conventional share-house model based on mandated social interaction. Instead, the design retains the autonomy of the existing private units — which were already equipped with the necessary amenities — while introducing communal areas that residents can use without pressure to participate.
Reading the existing dormitory typology
The project began with a close reading of the building’s original organisation. Rather than replacing the dormitory typology entirely, R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE worked with its existing structure, circulation, and unit layout to support a different form of urban living.
The ground floor was reconfigured to create an expansive residents’ lounge, while circulation routes were adjusted to connect a variety of common spaces. These areas offer places to sit, work, pause, and spend time alone, while still allowing residents to remain lightly aware of others within the building.
A place for nurturing solitude
The project is centred on the idea of nurturing solitude: a spatial condition in which residents can find individual repose while sensing the quiet presence of others nearby. In a dense urban setting, where people are often continuously connected to social and professional networks, the design gives value to time spent alone.
Rather than treating shared space primarily as a tool for community building, Fuu Oimachi by LATIERRA introduces a more nuanced relationship between individual and collective life. Diverse niches within the common areas allow residents to choose how visible or withdrawn they wish to be, supporting moments of solitude without turning them into isolation. The name ‘Fuu’ refers both to the idea of personal fulfilment and to the act of pausing to take a breath: Fulfill・U (Yourself).
An open-ended space for individual presence
The renovation works with the constraints of the existing building, accepting that not every element could be fully controlled by the architect. Rather than assigning each area a fixed function, the common spaces were designed as open-ended interiors, where use and occupation can shift according to each resident.
The original concrete structural shell is combined with irregularly inserted wooden platforms and walls, creating a variety of places across both plan and section. Depending on their mood or activity, residents can find their own fixed spot, rearrange movable furniture, or lean against the irregular geometries of the space.
The complex floor plan naturally disperses lines of sight, allowing residents to spend time in their own world while still acknowledging the presence of others nearby.
Reorganising circulation, stillness, and connection
The quality of the living environment was also addressed through the building’s relationship with the city. The original main entrance, which faced a busy thoroughfare, was relocated to what had previously been a rear service entrance. This placed the lounge at the end point of the communal circulation route, changing it from a space of passage into a calmer place to spend time.
The former entrance was replaced with a large fixed window, maintaining a visual connection between the lounge and the city. The opening is draped with curtains made from four layered textures, allowing the level of transparency between interior and exterior to be adjusted.
Together, these changes support the project’s wider balance between individual and collective life, allowing residents to be alone while remaining lightly connected to the shared spaces, the building, and the city beyond.
