Communication is the main axis. A social good space realized by concept design experiences

Spatial designer Sayaka Koga specializes in spatial concept design centered on communication and is active in a wide range of fields as an all-around player. Koga, who has been particular about concept design experiences since joining the company, talks about the appeal of working at NOMURA and what he has valued in his work.

Mainly in charge of space concept design centered on communication. concept design is an "experience"

Koga belongs to the 3rd concept design Department of the 1st concept design Center of the Creative Headquarters. Currently, I am promoting various projects with members as a room chief.

Koga: While there are many teams that specialize in specific areas, our team handles a wide range of areas, such as offices, commercial facilities, showrooms, and displays.

Also, I am often involved from the launch of the project, which is different from other concept design teams. Based on the idea that the role of concept design is to pick up the customer's issues and solve them, I have been involved in the project from the concept creation phase."

Koga specializes in space concept design centered on communication. He says that it is essential to pick up the issues through thorough interviews and incorporate them into concept design.

Koga: For example, in the multi-store project that I am in charge of concept design concept and flagship store concept design, communication with local people is the key word. We are working on creating a space.

There are many things that you can only learn by listening directly to customers, store staff, and other people on the front lines, or by actually visiting them. The basic process of concept design is to exchange opinions with many people, pick up problems and key words, get ideas from them, and sublimate them into spatial concept design.”

Currently, Koga is working on multiple projects in parallel, but Koga's style is to co-create projects with customers.

Koga: We are in a different position from the ordering side/receiving side, but we face each project with the feeling that we will create it together with the customer. It is the customer who continues to use the completed space.

Since joining the company, Koga has worked on a wide range of space concept design as an all-rounder, and has demonstrated his strengths in the planning and concept design of communication spaces in particular. There are things I cherish.

Koga: I've been trying to concept design the experience, not the space itself. I believe that there is something universal about the sensations that are tied to the experiences that occur in spaces such as ”.

For example, if a place that parents and concept design visit on a daily basis is too modern, it will feel uncomfortable, and they prefer a space where they can relax. We care about concept design.”

Responsible for spatial concept design of an interactive museum aimed at fostering children's curiosity

▲Panasonic Creative Museum AkeruE

Koga says that while he aspired to be a designer, he didn't have a concrete image of how to create a space when he was looking for a job. I will talk about why I decided to join NOMURA after considering various companies.

Koga: As the largest display company in the display industry, they not only concept design interiors for offices and shops, but also handle large events such as cultural facilities and motor shows. I decided to join the company because I thought that I could do it.”

After joining the company, Koga was assigned to the business headquarters in charge of corporate museums, displays, and sales promotions. For several years, I was involved in relatively small-scale projects in the displays team, but as I got older, I was entrusted with permanent exhibitions and large-scale displays.

After that, Koga became involved in many projects within the Panasonic Group, and experienced not only displays but also various fields such as offices and showrooms. One of the projects I was involved in was the Panasonic Creative Museum AkeruE.

Koga "AkeruE is the successor facility of RiSuPia, a hands-on museum where you can experience the charm of science and mathematics that used to be in the Panasonic Center Tokyo in Ariake. Based on STEAM education (*), the theme is SDGs. It was established as a place to practice inquiry-based learning and to nurture children's intellectual curiosity and inspiration, with the aim of nurturing human resources who can face new social issues.

There are five concept design concepts: "It feels good to be dirty, I feel like I can make it myself, I feel like I can rearrange it, I feel like I can't fit into the framework, and I feel like I'm in a session with everyone." At the beginning of the project's launch, the colloquial words that the members said when brainstorming were intentionally used as the concept."

Koga says that during the concept-making process, he thoroughly discussed how the space should be so as not to put the brakes on the children's imagination. It took shape while involving various members.

Koga: There was an atmosphere of ``Let's try it anyway,'' and members of other companies who were in charge of planning and operation came together to come up with ideas, and we solidified the concept while actually experiencing it ourselves.

In total, more than 100 people are involved, with many artists participating, discussions with researchers about the principles of art, and educators stationed at the studio.”

AkeruE opened in April 2021. It is said that there is a big reaction.

Koga: It's been quite a success, with groups of elementary and junior high school students coming in almost every day. We received an unbelievably large number of entries, and the finished works by the participants are all wonderful.

*STEAM education: An educational method advocated by adding Art to STEM education, which integrates the learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

*In "Panasonic Center Tokyo" Official site here
* "Panasonic Creative Museum AkeruE" Official site here
* Regarding the space concept design of "Panasonic Creative Museum AkeruE", Introduced in detail on Nomlog doing

The showroom has been transformed into a community space. Creating a community that can grow with the region

▲ KeiyoGAS Community Terrace

Another thing that Koga has been involved in so far is "KeiyoGAS Community Terrace" that left a particularly strong impression on me. This project refurbished the Keiyo Gas showroom in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, into a community space open to the local community.

Koga: "The customer had the idea of rebranding to a company that provides comprehensive support for people's lives, so I proposed a move away from the showroom.

It was a rather bold decision for the customer of the gas company not to display products such as gas appliances, but as a result, we created a space that embodies the brand concept of corporate activities aimed at gaining empathy from the local community. I think it did."

Koga is in charge of planning and spatial concept design together with the planner. It is said that concept design accepts the free activities and various ways of living of the local people, and is designed so that everyone can feel that they belong there.

Koga: The concept of concept design is 'porch'. It contains the desire to create a space that becomes a point of contact between people and living.

Under the slogan, “Light up children, adults, and the town,” we have developed a mechanism that allows users to participate in community building and efforts to support the lives and activities of local residents. We wanted to create a community that would grow.”

Koga says that he created it while thinking about it together with citizens and local groups. Here too, we worked with the planners to pick up the voices of the locals and put them into shape.

Koga: In preparation for the competition, the planners played a central role in observing the surrounding facilities and people walking on the street, and thoroughly investigated the details. The number of children's playgrounds has decreased because of this concept design”

Koga says that in recent years, it has become possible to create warm spaces that emphasize comfort. It is said that the experience of maternity leave and childcare leave is reflected in concept design.

Koga “I feel that having a child has given me a new sense of sensibility. I keenly felt the need for such a space.

In the KeiyoGAS Community Terrace project, I think that I was able to make good use of the new sensations I gained from spending time with my children in the space concept design, such as concept design a comfortable place where people can spend time casually and placing more emphasis on well-being. increase"

* Details about the "KeiyoGAS Community Terrace" project can be found on Nomulog.​

Social good and well-being initiatives through the creation of spaces in life

Koga says that interest in spaces in daily life is growing more and more these days. This is how I see my direction as a spatial designer.

Koga: I would like to create a place that is always there and can be called a place to belong.

For example, there are times when the mind is enriched just by having a space that you like. If I were to exaggerate a little about the richness of spatial concept design, I would like to make it possible for everyone to enjoy it as a matter of course, like social infrastructure. I would like to increase the opportunities to come into contact with such spaces.

Also, in one of my interviews, one of my juniors said, "I want to do concept design that I don't feel guilty about," and I agree with that. Recently, based on the SDGs, we are also maximizing attempts to upcycle existing materials in space concept design. It would be nice if the creation of spaces in our lives would naturally lead to initiatives for social good and well-being.”

NOMURA is the only company that is involved in such initiatives. Regarding the attractiveness of the workplace, Koga continues as follows.

Koga “This is the best opportunity in the industry to work with various professionals inside and outside the company, such as sales, planners, directors (production management), and people from cooperating companies. As I often advance the development process, I sometimes come up with ideas that I had never thought of during conversations.