A Public Space: Courtyard in Midair   What makes a multi-unit housing complex different from an independent dwelling is that the former has a public space. Japanese houses have only small yards, if any yard at all. But several small yards, if brought together, would constitute quite a large tract of land. Some multi-dwelling buildings have yard space divided for exclusive use by first-floor dwellers. Instead, I kept the space for common use as a courtyard and approach.

	Sandwiched by walls, the approach is a narrow path used frequently by people going in and out. Looking up, one sees metal rods running like a golden rain in an irregular-framed sky. Walking through the path one comes to a spacious courtyard. To make it an agreeable and comfortable space, I gave the courtyard deep folds and many openings that attract one's gaze. It looks like a pond, and at night light, in place of water, streams forth in a swash of blue-green electroluminescence. I determined the size and contour of the sky seen from the courtyard so as to create the impression of the space as a "courtyard in midair." For each dwelling unit, several access routes are available, including different stairs and bridges, allowing people to choose different paths according to their changing moods. This is based on my conviction that the availability of several options is one of the essential conditions of a city.