Sean Hori 2024
Nishinari Hormone Space
NishinariHormone Space Nishinari Ho
-How to preserve an al a ternative wa w y
Nishinari Hormone Space
-How to preserve an alternative way of life-
210mm×297m 7 m moodeling,
Digital, 3D modeling, pencil drawing (reproduction)
There are times when we feel a strange sense of nostalgia for a city we've never been to.
There are times wh w en sense nostal t gia we've never been to. Kamagasak i̶a place once known as a work ers e ʼ town, now bei b ng swallo wed d o f redevelopment̶also evokes t sthis kind of unfamilia ar n rnostalgia. H .How w can the m ememorie es o sof s fsuch a city, against the forces of capital, be preserved? d
Kamagasaki̶a place once known as a workersʼ town, now being swallowed by waves of redevelopment̶also evokes this kind of unfamiliar nostalgia. How can the memories of such a city, defenseless against the forces of capital, be preserved?
This project collects architectural elements that are often overlooked or excluded from living spaces̶ emergency staircases, rooftop equipment zones, ceiling voids filled with ductwork̶and reconfigures them into spaces where people can dwell. These hidden and disca rded fragments are likened to hormone, a local soul food of Kamagasaki made from once-discarded organ meats, and positioned here the "hormones" of the city and its architecture
project colleects architectural elements that are often overlooked or excluded living emergency stairrcases, zones, ceil e ing voids filled wi w th ductwork̶and n sp ace e s dwell. Thes e h e idden and di sca c rded fragmen ts s are likened to hormone, a local soul food of from m once-discarded org o an meats, positioned here as the "hormonees" of
The design reimagines the existing Airin General Center as a skeleton, to which new extensions are added. These added structures create a jagged composition that generates a series of incidental, unexpected spaces of inhabitation̶forming a megastructure of informal life. A renovated yoseba (day labor market) transforms into a place where old furniture and discarded goods are repaired by local workers and NPOs, creating a new kind of value. A curving roadside curb extends into the interior, offering places for sitting, talking, or simply being alone̶an antithesis to the controlling borders of
T h e d esi g n r eim m a g ines t h e existin g Airin Genera l Ce C nter as a s k e l e ton o , to w h ic h n ew w extensions are added. These ad d ded structures create a j agged co o mposition gen g erates a ser ies of incidental, spacces of inhabitation̶forming a mega g structure of inforrmal life. A renovated t (day labor market) tran r sforms place fur u niture and discard ed re e paired by local wor ker s a sa nd NPO P s, s cre ati ng a n an ew kin d o do f v fv alu e. e A c urv ing ro ads ide cu rb ext end s i si nto n th e i ei nte rio r, r offering places for f sitting, talking, or si mpl y b ein g a lone̶an anti the e sis to the cont rol lin g b orders of urban order
The former hospital block undergoes a bold subtraction, opening its central corridor into an atrium, with a new emergency staircase cutting through the volume and connecting directly to the rooftop. Its landings assert themselves as spaces of dwelling, segmented and sheltered by the existing concrete
The former hosppital block a bold subtracttion, its cent e ral corridor into o an atrium, with a new emerge ncy n staircase cutt ing throu gh the vo o lume and con nec e tin g d irectly t o t he roo f top. landings assert th t emselves as spaces of dwelling, s s ,s egmented and sh heltere
frame
Rather than preserving urban memories as static relics, this pr oject attempts to reimagine the Airin General Center as a vessel for urban redundancy̶embracing forgotten narratives and proposing a site into the future.
Rather than pre e servin g u rban memories as static rel r ics, this pr oje ct att emp ts to rei mag m ine the Airin General Center as a a vessel redundancy̶emb e racing forgotteen narratives p for celebrating thi h rd ways of living into future
ROAD LINE
a land art by Andy Goldsworthy the antitheses of the definition to curb, which is to control or limit
Sean Hori 2025
210mm×297mm
Home” “Home
Digital, 3D modeling, pencil drawing (reproduction)
This project is composed of the following three works:
Timeline of Family, Society and Me
Memory of My House
This timeline juxtaposes public histories of "the family" with personal narratives. It reveals how the modern family structure has shaped and constrained myself and my family. By placing individual memory within broader cultural discourse, the project explores how domestic architecture might be reimagined at its intersection with social frameworks.
I redrew the house where my family of three lived for 12 years, without referring to photographs, and compared the drawings with those of my father and sister. While we remembered the position of windows similarly, our drawings of the roof differed, and the scale of shared spaces such as the living room varied̶mine was largest, my fatherʼs the smallest. These differences revealed that detached houses are not experienced uniformly, but instead remembered in relative, body-scaled ways.
Home“ ”Home ‒ A Relative World of Mnemonic Elements
The design investigates how to move beyond the state-assigned structure of “the family” and explores how familial boundaries might shift from within rather than through direct openings to the outside. Drawing from memoryʼs sensory nature, architectural elements like stairs or walls are reimagined as mnemonic elements̶objects that anchor diverse personal experiences and foster connections across households.
At the core lies The Quoted House̶a tall, empty void shaped like a house, shared by four dwellings arranged in a pinwheel plan. Though seemingly independent in form, the dwellings subtly interweave, blurring ownership. This fictional center exaggerates the absent ideal at the heart of the modern home, inviting a rethinking of autonomy, memory, and relation.
This project draws on Jacques Donzelotʼs idea of the “modern family” and my own experience, exploring how its structure still shapes domestic life. Rather than opening the home to the outside, I subvert familiar forms̶like house-shaped façades often tied to privacy and ownership̶ to quietly dissolve the family model from within.
Th T is project draws on Jaacques Donzelotʼs idea of o the “modeern family” and my own experience, hoow its structure still shappes domestic c life. Rather r openinng e to the outside, I subver e t familiar for o ms̶llike housee shaped d oftten tied to privacy and ownership t to disssolve the faamily model from within.
The proposal targets the global typology of the suburban detached house. This iteration is set in suburban Nara̶ironically referred to as the “hometown of Japan”̶which has become a bedroom town for Osaka due to its high out-commuting rate.
Th T e tarrgets ty t pology the su s biteraation is set in subburban Nara̶ironiically referred to as the “hometoown of Japan”̶whicch has become a bedroom town for out-commut u ing rate.
Here in this suburban landscape, inspired by Matta-Clarkʼs violent cuts into societal norms, I propose an architecture that disrupts the familiar housing fabric̶not to isolate, but to generate new forms of relationship. spatial logic of places like Plaza Mayor may serve as reference
H Here in th is suburban land d scape, inspired Matta-Clark k ʼs violent cuts innto soc po se an archit ec ture that disr up ts the familia r housin ate, but to geneerate new forms s of In n imagi able coexistence e of rupture and connection, the laza as referencce. atial l
The drawings revealed that elements like the roof and façade were scarcely remembered, suggesting that the exterior of a house exists mainly as a reflection of interior experience. They also showed how memory is shaped differently depending on oneʼs bodily scale and daily routines, creating a relative sense of space. Based on this, I reinterpreted the missing exterior as a sign of the detached houseʼs fictional nature, and explored how these elements could be repositioned inside the home as sensory, memory-forming components. I also considered ways to extend this relative spatial world beyond the family, opening it to others.
Th T e drawings g revealed th t at elements like the roo o f and façade d were scar rcely remem mbered, suggesting that t the exterior of a house exists mainly y as a reflecttion of interioor experience c . They also showed how w memory is s shaped diffe ff rently depen e ding on on o eʼs scale and dai a ly routines, creating a rel e ative sense of space. Based on t hi h s, I reinter pr p eted the m issing ext er e ior as a sig n of the d et ached ho us s eʼs fictional n ature, an d exp l ore d h ow o t h ese e le e ments co ul l d b e repos it t ione d insi de d t h e h om e as sensory, m emo ry - f or mi ng com po p nents. I also consid er ed w ay s to o extend th is relative sp p atial world the openi n ng
Plaza Mayor, Madrid Ikoma, Nara
Plaza a Madrid
Ikomma, Nara
From within the household, the framework of “family” under-
Each unit is given a distinct external form to amplify the
From within the household, the framework of “fam a ily” undergoes a gradual process of self-traansformation. Each unit is g iv v en a distinct ex x ternal form to a mp p li fy y the modern familial sense of “my homme.”
e.g. g , 3 “Familiees”: 2 Homes
On O e “Family” : One Home
Family “ ”
Four units are arranged in a win ndmill-like config guration, not to f fa ce the stree t, , but to enga ge e wit h t h e inne r a ll e y wa y . T h is layo y ut uph p olds the illusion of inddividual ownership while subtly y f fostering shared, interstitial relatio i ns between dwe w llings.
At the center of the pinwheel configuration, I placed a tall, house-shaped void̶constructed with the same rectangular volume as the four adjacent units, rotated 45 degrees.
A t the center of f the pinwheel co c n fi guration, pl p aced a tall, house-shaped void̶constructeed with the same e v volume as the foour units, rotated 45 degr g ees.
This shared void embodies the “ ” in “Home,” representing the fictitious core of the typology that the four dwellings col-
T Th is shared vo id d embodies th e “ ” in “Home ,” r ep resentin g t the fictitious core r of the that the four collectively acknowwledge.
eyonnd “One Fammily : One Home” Be
Beyond“One Family : One Home”
W With no floors or o ceilings, the spa p ce extends ove v r 10 meters in height, allowi ng the verticali ty y o f the house to t physical ly experienced.
With no floors or ceilings, the space extends over 10 meters in height, allowing the verticality of the house to be physically experienced.
Fictional HouseDefined by corridor, stair, balcony, and roof
A house-shaped void framed by tensile elements that emphasize its outline.
Fictioonal House Defined corridor, stair, A house-shap h ed void frammed b tensile elements e e m nssi fr d its outline ou
In this compact site, daily life unfolds in close physical proximity. Private domains are separated by walls positioned as discrete
siite, life unfollds physiccal y positioneed as discrete objects on a sharred 455 mm grid. d
This shared structural logic becomes the basis for a relative worldview̶one shaped not only by individual boundaries,
T This shared stru uctural logic becom o es the basis for a relative worldview̶one e shaped not onl n y but by relationshi h ps with others beyond the famiily.
Roofs and walls recalled in memory drawings are reimagined as
Roofs and walls recalled in memo m ry drawings are as Mnemonic Eleme m nts̶bodily, memory-shaping objects.
In House A, th e roof descends to t the ground an a d walls foll ow circulation lines.
Intersecting stairrs turn into shelve v s, marking point n s where movements and memo m ries intersect.
To capture the relativity observed in detached homes through the memory drawings, the entire site is governed by a 455 mm grid.
To captuure detached e homes through g the memory drawings g , the entire site a 455 mm
This grid defines a relative world, in which all spatial scales are determined from the embodied experience of a particular occupant immersed in the drawing.
defines a relativve world, in which all scales arre determined from the e embodied expeerience of f a a occupant imme m rsed in the g
In House A, the central wall on the second floor can rotate to accommodate changing family structures, allowing the spatial layout to be reconfigured.
In House e A, the central waall on the second floor can n rotate to accommmodate changging l structures, allowwing layout to o be reconfiguredd.
Over time, this home is designed to accommodate multiple households living within a single detached house, in stages.
Over timme, this home is deesigned to accommmodate households within a detached house, in stages.
The concrete block wall is reimagined as a Mnemonic Element that generates relationships beyond the
The concrete block wall is d as a geneerates relationshhips the famiily unit.
While such walls typically serve as private realms, here they cease to Their duality becomes ambiguous.
Whille bounndaries between n public and privat a e realms, here y cease e to funcction as simple “en e closures.” Theiir becomees
A small courtyard adjacent to the bathroom is screened by concrete blocks, blocking views while simultaneously sharing the garden with
A smmall courtyard addjacent to the bathhroom is screened e y concrete bloccks, w while simultaneeously thhe the al a ley.
Furthermore, the discrepancy between the 455 mm grid and the site boundary is absorbed into the along the legal edge of the plot but toward the alley, where it forms a colonnade in conjunction with the
Furthermore, the disscrepancy betwween the 455 mm m and the site absor o bed into the struct c ure of the house s . This misalignment appears not alonng the e of the but towaard the whhere it forms a coloonnadde in i conju j nc n tion with the coluumns of the fictioonal house drawwing people inwaard.
