Study on the usage and potential of rooftop spaces in Tokyo
Rooftop Urbanism is the title of the research project and the final thesis work I developed during my Master program study at the University of Tokyo. After coming to Tokyo and experiencing the city firsthand, I was struck by its particular urban form. Especially when observing the city from high-up, from the rooftop level, I started seeing its rooftop landscape as a continuous 'second ground' and as a place of vast opportunity. The full title of the thesis work is 'Rooftop Urbanism: Usage and Potential of Rooftop Space in the Urban Environment'.
The work consisted of three parts: introduction (including a comparative discussion of what constitutes rooftop space in the western and eastern context), quantitative research (mapping of the rooftop spaces), and qualitative research (case studies of actual rooftop structures which serve different functions).
Lastly, I concluded by speculating how rooftop spaces could be used in Tokyo. Such speculation was highly contextual and considered real neighborhoods in Tokyo as its sites, with the main objective was to enhance the experience of the buildings' users.
By considering the character of the neighborhood and functionality of the buildings within it, the proposed interventions on the rooftop level directly correlate with the neighborhoods's needs.
A quiet residential neighborhood in Bunkyo has many elderly residents, and also some students living in close proximity to a university campus. In this case community gardens and mini-workshop spaces for students were proposed as interventions on the rooftop level.
An upscale residential district of Tomigaya has many families with young children. However, the neighborhood's dense urban layout, lack of green space, and a busy traffic do not create a kids-friendly zone outside of the apartment block. For such neighborhood, a number of playgrounds for different ages, and mini sport fields are proposed on the rooftop level, together with adjacent community gardens and recreational spaces for adults.
