Yoro Shisetsu & Albergo Diffuso

At its core, this project explores the spatial and programmatic potentials of displacement. The elderly, many of whom live on the hillside, are both physically and socially isolated. This proposal conceptually transplants a fragment of the hillside to the seaside area of the city. The result is Yoro Shisetsu, a sectional building/city that houses not only the elderly but also a series of facilities for youngsters, forming a joint care center where children and the elderly interact. The interstitial spaces, made up of terraces, landscapes, and gardens, enable and promote interaction between the users. The lower part of the project proposes a new urban public space and promenade for Onomichi.

A hillside proposal, Albergo Diffuso, is based on the Italian concept of a hillside hotel with rooms in a series of buildings instead of only one. It reoccupies and transforms abandoned buildings and vacant lots to reimagine an alternative to conventional hotel accommodation that promotes local culture and authentic experiences. The process also reactivates the area.