Condominiums in Japan have become commoditized for some time. These standardized residences are replete in their interior appointments and deliver a consistent quality. The Japanese urban landscape is perpetually in transformation with this architecture, both finished and still being built: marketability is assured with an eye-catching exterior and stylish interior.

In Japan, many large-scale condominium buildings install continuous balconies along the façade that enable efficient evacuation from the units in emergencies. These balconies also serve as requisite space for outdoor air-conditioning units, which fall under individual management of respective unit owners. The common resulting appearance for many condominium buildings, therefore, consists of balconies running the length of each level, punctuated by partitioning walls between each unit.

The presence of numerous historical buildings in Yokohama, such as the restored red-brick warehouse quarter, seems to have had an impact on condominium appearance, with preference trending toward a classical ambiance rather than unadorned, concrete façade. In fact, the client of this project originally requested brickwork imagery. As a nationwide trend, tilework on exterior walls has increased since the 1980s as a way to impart a classy appearance and facilitate the development of marketable condominiums. The tiled finish is touted as a “no maintenance” exterior specification that holds some truth with respect to the durability of the tiles themselves. The base mortar and grout work for tiling, however, suffer swelling and contraction caused by the elements. The cumulative fatigue along the boundary surfaces of materials ultimately causes shedding that dislodges the tiles. In 2005, exterior tile fell off of an office building in central Tokyo, injuring passers-by. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Land and Transport conducted a national survey that subsequently identified over 900 properties at least 10 years old and three-stories or higher with a risk of falling wall materials.

To create the outer skin, the concrete wall thickness was fixed at 180 mm, and an additional 15 mm was allocated for the brick-work appearance by using forms that created a grooved pattern of brick-work joints. A clear coating finish made the wall look like grey bricks from a distance, while a closer inspection revealed concrete features. The outer skin visually presented a perspective of openings notched out of a flush wall and a perspective of a gridded frame forming square openings.

A wood finish was contemplated to impart warmth to the balcony interiors. Since balconies are treated contractually as common areas assigned with dedicated usage rights, their maintenance and upkeep presented concerns and dictated the avoidance of real wood. In practice, doors, door frames, floors, and furniture surfacing found in condominiums are predominantly finished with printed veneers, which actually afford a greater material feel than real wood veneer and a quality in some grades that can be confused for authentic wood. But the perfected ambiance feels artificial and lacks warmth. For the same reasons, woodgrain-printed aluminum siding was rejected as a candidate for the balcony interior finish, although high cost stood in the way also.

In the end, reproducing the desired wood finish was accomplished with a woodgrain-texturing trowel found for sale on an e-commerce site. Woodgrain is the visual result of sawing lumber vertically in relation to the tree’s annual growth rings. The texturing trowel, which was formed with a relief pattern of simulated growth rings, could “create” woodgrain with a diagonal run. The mechanism was simple, but yielded a non-repeating variation in apparent woodgrain, according to the angle made when running the trowel. In the actual work, the concrete facing was vertically grooved at a typical wood-cladding width and covered with a light-colored undercoating. A darker coat of paint was then applied, to which the woodgrain-texturing trowel was run lengthwise to reproduce a wood-paneled finish on the concrete surface. Definitely fake but definitely hand finished, the expression exudes warmth.

In Japan, individual condominium residences as of 2019 numbered 6.65 million. The construction of a condominium like this project with over 100 units has a significant impact on the street panorama, and can transform the vista. The appearance of a condominium is also an asset value concern to the purchasing unit owner; therefore, façade design must consider a spectrum of interpretation. The grid-like façade with openings, the brickwork-grooved exterior wall and woodgrain-like paint finish of balcony interiors are all concrete treatments that interpreted the desired adornment. The resulting architecture that explored history, vista, urban vibrance, value to both condo seller and purchaser, and structural performance including maintenance presents a new urban expression.