Date of Submission
Spring 5-11-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Sang Pil Lee
Abstract
This thesis aims to address the urgent need for adaptable, socially responsive housing in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The area currently faces a crisis in rapidly aging populations, youth out-migration, housing insecurity, and high rates of domestic violence. These problems are intensified by economic strain, harsh winter conditions, and periods when cultural stigma limits access to safety and community support. As it stands, current housing systems cannot evolve with the rapidly shifting demographics and social needs of the city.
Confront these challenges. The thesis proposes a megastructure-framework grounded in the metabolism movement and the works of Metabolist architects such as Fumihiko Maki, Kisho Kurokawa, and Kinoyori Kikutake, and works of renowned architects such as Shigeru Ban and Toyo Ito. This project primarily focuses on the vulnerable populations within the city.
Elderly populations and domestic violence victims Demographics are in need of systemic and socio-economic change. The project will target these issues by developing modular, adaptable housing units embedded within a larger infrastructure frame. These modules will be able to be added, removed, or reconfigured to form a continuously adaptable system, according to the conditions of a phased approach developed in tandem with the other components of the project.
By synthesizing precedents such as the NEXT21, the Home-For-All projects, and House-and-Atelier. The thesis proposes a reconfigurable housing model that merges permanence with adaptability. ultimately assessing architecture as a moral and practical tool for achieving resilience and inclusivity in contemporary Japan.