ABSTRACT
Within the context of Open Building, the NEXT21 project introduced a number of innovations, some of which still have not been equaled by later initiatives. Organizing all the different players and all of the piping and cabling infrastructure without conflict, in combination with the deployment of internal partitioning and the equipment of bathrooms and kitchens, posed a very difficult methodological problem. A facade system was designed specifically for the NEXT21 lower- level design. Over the years, many of the original dwelling units have changed, part of the experiment with adjusting Infill to changing lifestyles of a variety of household sizes and preferences. For an Open Building project to serve as a laboratory, as in the case with NEXT21, an extremely ‘open’ technical solution is the right answer; experiments can be done without pre-determined constraints. The completion of NEXT21 in 1994 implied a long-term commitment by Osaka Gas Company toward Open Building experimentation.
