In Japan, apartment complex designed for motorcyclists

Akiyoshi Takagi Architects has created the NE Apartment complex in Tokyo, which is built to enable residents to ride up to their door.

Travelers with bikes have already had the Redverz Gear Series II Expedition Tent to keep their vehicle more secure while camping. Operating on a larger scale, Akiyoshi Takagi Architects has now created the NE Apartment complex in Tokyo, which has been designed with motorcyclists in mind. Located in the Suginami ward of the Japanese city, the housing block consists of eight three-storey apartments which provide a number of benefits to motorcycle users. The main structure of the buildings is curved, enabling bike owners to leave the road and follow the rounded contours, riding up to their front door without having to deal with sharp corners. Each unit also has a spacious ground floor utility room, which can double as a garage to store the motorbike. These aspects of the design mean that residents do not have to leave their vehicle outside or on the street, where the likelihood of theft or damage is increased, especially as it is located in an urban setting. Due to the nature of the building design, residents are likely to ride a motorbike, increasing the potential for the complex to act as a community of like-minded people. However, although the accommodation was created to cater for problems faced by motorcyclists, the designers also aimed to make the spaces as universal as possible and they can be equally enjoyed by those who don’t own a bike. Just as Canada’s customizable FlexNatür modular condos provided plenty of inspiration for architects and engineers, so the NE Apartment also demonstrates the possibilities open to housing designers. In what other ways could buildings better serve a niche group? Spotted by: Hemanth Chandrasekar