Kitakami Children Health & Support Center

Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura

KITAKAMI CHILDREN HEALTH & SUPPORT CENTER

UtA / Unemori teco Associates

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
HAZAMA ANDO CORPORATION, Obara Construction CO.LTD

MANUFACTURERS
Talking about Curtains

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS
Design Office MOMI

MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
ZO Consulting Engineers

SIGN DESIGN
NIPPON DESIGN CENTER INC., Irobe Design Institute

TEXTILE DESIGN
Talking about Curtains

PHOTOGRAPHS
Kai Nakamura

AREA
14216 m²

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Kitakami, Japan

CATEGORY
Healthcare Architecture, Healthcare Center

The Japanese architectural office UtA/Unemori teco Associates, a joint venture between UNEMORI ARCHITECTS and teco, has converted the first two floors of an eight-story commercial building in the city center of Kitakami in the prefecture of Iwate in Japan into an inventive health and childcare support complex with a total floor area of 4,000 sqm.

Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura

By entirely gutting and converting the first two floors and facade of the existing building and integrating the health and childcare support facilities as well as a public meeting space, UtA/Unemori teco Associates realized a creative and inviting space that acts as a new meeting point for the city’s residents.

The new complex is structured around a central, open space, featuring gently undulating floors and ceiling, as well as a facade with large windows and an entrance area.

Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura

With the conversion, UtA/Unemori teco Associates showcase their architectural competence for sensitive redevelopments of existing buildings and the re-use of rare space in the city.

TRANSCENDING BUILDING TYPOLOGIES

Instead of building a new complex, UtA/Unemori teco Associates converted a central commercial building from 1999 to accommodate the Kitakami health and childcare support center, thus re-using existing space in the city.

Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura

The two lower floors of the existing building provide a rectangular space and were gutted entirely for the conversion.

The architects also completely renewed the facade, featuring a glass front and equipping it with a spacious entrance area with sliding doors.

Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura

UtA/Unemori teco Associates structured the space around a central multi-purpose indoor plaza - an open space in the center of the first floor that is accessible to the public thus connecting the city outside with the facility.

The high-ceiling plaza consists of an atrium, a café and a reception desk and serves as an entrance and waiting area to the surrounding rooms with various functions such as a facility for medical checkups, an indoor playground, an exhibition room, a consulting room as well as an office area.

Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura

Transcending the building typology of a childcare center, a number of seating areas with varying textures and sitting heights were installed as a public meeting point in the foyer.

PLAYFULLY UNDULATING FLOORS AND CEILINGS

The commercial building consisted of simple rectangular grids that UtA/Unemori teco Associates deconstructed by creating playfully undulating ceilings and floors.

Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura

The wavy shape provides a fun and unusual floor for the playground, while, as a ceiling, ensuring the safety clearance for medical vehicles, leaving adequate duct space above.

The ceiling is illuminated across the entire surface, creating a play with shadow and light that lends a sense of depth to the complex. The architects mirrored the wave of the ceilings and floors on the outside of the complex as a striking eave on the facade.

As there were hardly any openings in the exterior walls before, UtA/Unemori teco Associates framed the facility with large windows and glass sliding doors so the interior can be seen from outside, thus reinforcing the open character of the building and its connection to the city.

Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura


Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
© Kai Nakamura


Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
Plan- Ground Floor 
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
Plan- 1st Floor 


Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
Axonometric Siagram 
Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
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Kitakami Children Health & Support Center
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