Hiroshi Nakamura

Dancing trees,Singing birds

Located in Ebisu, Tokyo, Bird Park is an apartment where people and birds can live in total harmony. We believe that the pleasure of living with nature can be communicated through architecture, and by living face to face with nature can raise the awareness of sustainable living in each individual. Architecture is usually seen to be concerned only with humans, but by expanding the target to plants and animals, we thought it could familiarise more people to architecture. It is an apartment sympathetic to both human and to the environment.The site is located in the very central district of Tokyo surrounded by trees over 20m high. We felt that such greenery was a precious asset to a crowded city like Tokyo, and wanted to preserve this forest ? to build with it rather than to build on it.We began the process by measuring the shape and the location of each and every tree with a laser pointer and created a three dimensional computer model from the collected information. Then we consulted a tree doctor and discussed how we could build without damaging the roots.The ‘huts' were constructed according to the location of the branches, leaving enough room for the trees to sway in the case of tropical rainstorm. Towards the top of the building, we located small birdhouses echoing the shapes of the ‘huts'.Living with the forest; to be able to smell the flowers, to hear the leaves blowing in the wind, and to be able to listen to the birds sing. Bird Park became a place where people and nature can form a close and intimate relationship with each other, and by forming such relationship, I hope to enhance the quality of life in each individual.