This morning I headed to Osaka. I wanted to go to the Birkenstock store to see if I could get my shoes resoled, and I wanted to visit Next21, and experimental housing development built by Osaka Gas Company in 1994.

No luck at the Birkenstock store so I headed on to Next21.

Next21 was designed by Yositika Utida and SHU-KO-SHA Architecture & Urban Design Studio. It was designed with the goal of creating housing that would set an example for the next century, hence; "Next21."

There were many environmental initiatives, primarily focused on the reducing energy consumption, waste managment and a desire to create a structure that could be changed to suit the needs of the generations of inhabitants that would occupy it during its lifespan.

My primary interest in the building was the extensive use of green roofs and terracing, which were intended to give the inhabitants a direct connection to the earth and plant life. I was not disappointed.

The plant life on the terraces had prospered during the last ten years and the building was positively alive. I did notice one exception, a unit terrace that didn't seem to care for gardening and consequently the soil in their terrace was void of life. As a whole however, the building is best described as green and furry.

The first thing that I noticed as I approached the building was the concentration of song birds it the air. The building, with its many trees scattered amongst the terraces was an island sanctuary in a sea of concrete. As I watched the birds fly in and out of the trees from all directions it became evident that the building was a major destination for the local fauna.

The second thing I noticed was that the area surrounding the building was quieter than the neighboring streets. It was as though the greenery was sucking the noise out of the city and creating an oasis of quiet.

At a glance, the architecture itself left a bit to be desired. The first two floors consist of office space and exhibit some design choices of questionable merit; wacky tin sided structures that poke out at odd angles and funky four pronged support columns that pick up the loads from the upper levels.

There is an office at the ground level - not surprisingly an agency related to birds (I think), a rather large garden with trees, a small stream, a lobby area for the residents, and a small parking lot. Overall the ground level seems an overly open maze of interlocking spaces, and left me thinking that it is unlikley that the residents feel secure when entering and leaving the building.

Levels 3-6 are residential and are notable for the large public terraces that connect the units and the multi colored aluminum panels that decorate the curtain wall. The latter of the two I found unappealing in the photographs I reviewed prior to my visit. In person however, the colors seemed to have deepened with age and were somewhat charming.

The following websites detail the project... Primarily the intent of the project as there seems to be a lack of post-occupancy critiques available, altough the "official" site has some information about "NEXT21 Phase 2".

Osaka Gas Next21 - Official Project Website

Case Study - University of Hong Kong Architecture Department

Case Study - Open Building Projects, N. John Habraken