Rokko Housing: A Modern-Day Hill Village
A series of collective housing blocks set into the steep foothills of the Rokko Mountains. The buildings were sited carefully so that they would meld into their surroundings.
Ando gave shape to the richness of the idea of living collectively through a span of two decades.
Rokko Housing Ⅰ (1983) by Tadao AndoOriginal Source: Tadao Ando Architect & Associates
Rokko Housing Ⅰ（1983）
The client requested to have the building constructed by leveling the gently sloped part of the foothill site. However, upon visiting the site, Ando became engrossed with the steep 60-degree slope that rose up behind it.
Questioning the practice of leveling land only to build run-of-the-mill houses that disregard the particularities of each individual site, Ando instead sought to explore a different relationship between building and ground.
When Ando learned that the slope would need to be stabilized to mitigate the risk of landslides, he made his bold proposal to design the building itself as a retaining wall.
The unconventional approach gave rise to a series of challenges. Needing especially to ensure that construction could be carried out safely on the steep slope, an extensive geological survey was conducted on and around the site using computers, which were still rare at the time.
Ando was almost unable to find a contractor willing to undertake the project due to the expected difficulty of the construction. Despite such challenges, he was ultimately able to realize the unique building that looks like it was switched out with a section of the steep hill.
The housing units are stacked along the hillside and regulated by a shifted 5.8-meter by 4.8-meter grid. Every unit is different in size and layout, and they each have their own terrace.
The contrast of light and shadow produced by the verticle concrete walls. The alley-like spaces filling the gaps within the shifted grid serve as semi-public areas where residents can interact with one another.
The geometries carved into the landscape both reflect the architect’s resolve and have the effect of augmenting the surrounding nature.
Rokko Housing Ⅱ (1993) by Tadao AndoOriginal Source: Tadao Ando Architect & Associates
Rokko Housing II (1993)
Ando had just finished work on Rokko Housing I when he was asked to design a project on the adjacent site by another client. He took it as an opportunity to develop a second phase for the Rokko Housing project and continued exploring the concept of collective hillside housing.
As the building needed to be considerably larger than the first, it was designed based on a concrete grid composed of open frames rather than solid walls. The frames inscribe the strong architectural intent into the landscape while also heightening the presence of nature.
The architecture was once again sited to meld with the steeply sloping topography. A grand staircase was positioned between the complex’s two blocks to create a semi-public space for the residents.
Ando's emphasis was placed on the richness of public spaces.
The shared swimming pool, positioned in the best location for taking in views of the sea, offers another semi-public space where residents can socialize.
The architecture’s organic connection with the surrounding nature has given rise to a rich variety of living spaces. Here, the landscape has been incorporated into the interior like a garden.
The generous openings allow one to enjoy views of the greenery on the hillside, the blue skies, and the sea.
Rokko Housing Ⅲ (1999) by Tadao AndoOriginal Source: Tadao Ando Architect & Associates
Rokko Housing III (1999)
Rokko Housing III was realized as a reconstruction housing project of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake six years after the completion of Rokko Housing II.
The high-, mid-, and low-rise blocks arranged according to the elevation difference across the site are each composed of housing units with unique layouts. Semi-public spaces, even larger than those of the earlier phases, occupy the gaps between the blocks.
A semi-public green space fills the gap between the high- and low-rise blocks.
The green roofs of the low-rise blocks provide the foreground for the views from the high-rise blocks, which look out towards Kobe’s rebuilt cityscape and the sea beyond.
“What I have been working to create in those green hills over the span of these many years is a villagescape composed of modern architecture.” Tadao Ando
text：Shinichi Kawakatsu
Editor：Ryusuke Wada
Direction：neucitora
Supervision：Tadao Ando Architect & Associates
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