The site is located in a suburb of Nagoya
City, near the last stop of a metro station, and facing a major arterial road.
A large development project being undertaken in the surrounding area, will
transform the site in years to come.
The following points were focused on to
carry out the project:
Creating the image of a fresh space that
will play a key role in our company's future development.
Encouraging rich communication between the
staff.
Exploring the possibilities of a wooden structure.
The construction was planned with the
following considerations in mind:
Firstly, concerning the placement of
pillars, 30 pillars were placed in a hash-tag layout allowing the creation of a
structure that has no load bearing walls inside.
Secondly, with regard to the slabs,
free-arrangement of the slabs produced differences in height allowing the staff
to choose their own custom spaces in the office. Thirdly, regarding the
exterior, same-sized openings cover all four walls and give a classic look to
the main façade, and provide it with the impression of durability. All of these
elements came together to create an intentionally designed space that could
bear unintended and surprising forms of functionality.
Characteristics such as windows cut-off by
slabs, windows placed in inaccessible locations, and the staircase peaking out
from between slabs contribute to a rich, unusual space—a space that provides
the feeling of being in a grove, accomplished through the sunlight shining down
via windows on the walls surrounding the inside—even though the space was
created artificially.
Wooden architecture is a very much suitable
construction method for the environment and life in hot and humid Asian
countries. Securing enough architectural resources, wooden structures take an
important role in terms of the maintenance of mountain ecosystems. We made a
point to use those timbers in a positive manner, and to adapt its usage to the
needs of the times.
We believed that seeking new wooden
architectural methods along with the social situation in modern Asian countries
would contribute to improving the wooden architectural technology in many
regions.
The office is a connected one space and it
brings us to encouraging rich communication between the staffs. And also it
makes stuff's motivation higher and their work efficiently. At the same time, a
quiet but iconic façade of the office which facing a major arterial road, makes
easier to recognize by neighbors and passers.
This office is shared with a real estate
agent and a complex company which architecture, graphic design and regional
vitalization. We believe that it has a potential of changing the city better if
those two companies work together as gear wheel.
beautiful space created through a delicate balance of forms