Works#Social Good

Building 15 at Sophia University's Yotsuya Campus opened in the fall of 2022 as a hub for adult education and community exchange, with the keyword "Transforming the city into a forest," aiming to contribute to achieving the SDGs and realizing a decarbonized society, as well as becoming a sustainable landmark for the region. Designed and construction by Sumitomo Forestry, this three-story fire-resistant wooden building utilizes "Kigurumi FR®," an original pure wood fire-resistant laminated timber made from Tama-grown cedar, for its main structural components. The facade, covered with a cross-shaped wooden lattice, is concept design that expresses the founding principles of Sophia University: "diversity," "interaction with others," "truth," and "tradition." The first floor will house a café open to the public, and as part of community contribution activities, space will be provided to nearby neighborhood associations for use as a disaster prevention warehouse. The second and third floors are used as classrooms for the "Professional Studies" course for working adults. Our company was responsible for design, layout, construction of the third floor, which is used as a classroom for the adult education course. Aiming to create a space that fosters wisdom through gathering, learning, and conversation, we also connected the story from the architecture to the materials that make up the space, and concept design using Nishikawa timber (cedar and cypress) from Hannō, which, along with Tama timber, has been used to build the city of Edo.

The concept is "symbiosis". This is a project to establish an exchange base in the Arahama area of Sendai City, which was affected by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Based on the concept of an ``inclusive society'' where people of all generations and with or without disabilities can gather, we have created an ``open space'' where you can enjoy activities and events and learn about disaster prevention and mitigation. The site area is 1.3 hectares. The site consists of three areas: a cafe and co-working space, a farm, and an inclusive facility where children with disabilities can play. The clubhouse uses VR equipment jointly developed by a major telecommunications company and a local university to become a place for children to learn about disaster prevention, where they can learn about the Arahama area before and after the earthquake and how to respond in the event of a disaster. I am. The project is part of Sendai City's project to utilize the site of a disaster prevention collective relocation site, and is funded by a subsidy from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Our company provided support for acquisition applications and completion reports. This time, we completed the clubhouse area as the first phase. Aiming to create facilities that take root in the community and grow together with them, parks and indoor facilities are planned to be developed in stages based on future projections in collaboration with local residents.

We were commissioned by Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. to propose and develop new office interiors material product ideas for its group company, MEC Industry. From among many ideas, we focused on developing partitions and raised access flooring for sale as wooden products. At the "Non-Residential Wooden Building Fair 2023" held in May 2023, we collaborated with Mitsubishi Estate and other booth personnel to consider design, layout for installation in the Mitsubishi Estate Group booth, where mockups created during the development process were displays. Following the fair, feedback was exchanged among stakeholders, and the mockups were refined from concept design, construction, and procurement perspectives in preparation for actual sales, leading to Head Office installation at Mitsubishi Estate's headquarters. NOMURA Co.,Ltd. also cooperated in the design and construction of the installation.

This project involved the development of Motona Beach in Kyonan-machi, Awa-gun, Chiba Prefecture, and a demonstration event, utilizing Chiba Prefecture's "Project to Promote High Value-Added Tourism Content." The new use of the beach after the summer high season was named "Seaside Time," and the project was planned and implemented from September to November 2022. The special event held on November 12th and 13th offered new seaside experiences, including the first and largest participatory sky lantern and candlelit night in the Uchibo region, upcycled art using local waste materials such as driftwood, and gourmet food trucks showcasing the charms of Uchibo, attracting many visitors. Our company spearheaded the entire process, from administrative work for the application to Chiba Prefecture, planning, promoting the event's demonstration experiment (planning, concept design, setup, operation, and promotion), effectiveness verification, and reporting.

L'Oréal Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of the world's largest cosmetics company, L'Oréal Group, has undertaken its first major renovation since relocating Head Office to Shinjuku Park Tower in 2006. Named "Beauty Valley" under the concept of "EN" (縁), the renovated office embodies the desire to create a place where beauty is born, connecting people with Japan, customers, business partners, and employees. concept design incorporates the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) as themes for each area, and features furniture and decorations showcasing Japanese craftsmanship, incorporating Japanese beauty throughout. Furthermore, approximately 4,400 units of L'Oréal's products—around 60 different types, including eyeshadow, foundation, and lipstick—were upcycled before disposal, utilizing them in paints, lampshades, and tiles. While pursuing sustainable beauty, the office fully expresses L'Oréal's aesthetic by installing product display fixtures similar to those found in retail stores. Moreover, the office is designed in accordance with LEED standards, an international certification for sustainable buildings, ensuring energy efficiency and waste management, paying meticulous attention to details such as light, sound, and materials. Our company participated in this project as the overall construction company for interiors.

Nishio Rentall, a comprehensive rental company focusing on construction machinery and event materials, has opened a research and development facility in Osaka to carry out technology development and demonstration experiments to advance sharing solutions in preparation for the Osaka/Kansai Expo to be held in 2025. It was built on the island. In the area of Building A-1, which we were in charge of, there is a pedestrian deck connecting the nearest station, Cosmo Square Station, and the Osaka Prefectural Sakishima Government Building, which is open to anyone including nearby residents other than employees. I was in charge of the shared space space and lobby that serves as the facility's reception desk.

This project involved the renovation of "River City 21 Shinkawa," a tower residence with 505 units completed in 1995. Located on the Sumida River, facing the Chuo Ohashi Bridge, this property boasts a riverside location with abundant nature and expansive views. The Chuo Ohashi Bridge, which spans the foot of the condominium, is illuminated at night and is known as a landmark in the Tsukuda area. A promenade has been built along the Sumida River, making it a place of relaxation for local residents who enjoy walking and jogging. The residential units offer a wide range of options, from 1R and 1K single-person plans to 2LDK, with a variety of unique layouts, including Japanese-style rooms with Ryukyu tatami mats and plans with spacious storage rooms. Following a change of ownership, our mission was to add value to this pioneering waterfront tower condominium, a property with high potential where nature and the city coexist, to suit the modern era, and we undertook the design and construction.

We were in charge of the planning, concept design, and construction of the entrance renovation for Head Office (main building) of Oji Holdings Corporation. The concept was "Forest Field." To express the company's commitment to working in harmony with forest resources in the entrance, we aimed to create a realistic space where one can feel the healing power of a forest even while in an office building in the heart of the city, by effectively arranging native trees and wooden furnishings. The wooden furnishings were made from coniferous trees such as fir and larch, and hardwoods such as oak and birch, harvested from the company's own forests. We made extensive use of solid wood to create a beautiful and warm space that is unique to wood.

We were in charge of design, layout, building execution of Ai Kogyo's fifth domestic experiential housing showroom, where customers can "see," "touch," and "feel" their homes. Located on the 5th floor of Tonarie Utsunomiya in front of Utsunomiya Station in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, this store utilizes approximately 132 tsubo (approx. 430 square meters) and serves as a place to disseminate information as a one-stop shop for home building consultations, from "consultation to contract to specification decision." Compared to conventional stores, it is compactly arranged, making it an easy-to-use and easy-to-navigate showroom. In terms of concept design, the interior is interiors with motifs of Oya stone and Tochigi leather, and while customers can feel the "Tochigi spirit" throughout, the showroom also features actual displays of the latest housing equipment, interior building materials, exterior walls, roofs, and sashes, as well as a corner where customers can experience Ai Kogyo's unique skip-level design using AR, allowing them to understand "why Ai Kogyo is chosen."

This is a renovation project of the hotel "TheMana Village" located at the tip of Ashizuri Cape in Kochi Prefecture. Starting in 2020, the former Ashizuri Pacific Hotel will be reborn as a new “TheMana Village”. In the 2022 project, 5 new types of guest rooms and the Italian restaurant "Assurrissimo" in the facility have been expanded. Some of the new guest rooms are twin-type rooms with a large space of 96 square meters, equipped with a private sauna, water bath, open-air bath, and a special room with a fireplace in the room. Aiming to be one of the best resort hotels in Asia, this renovation project aims to provide a special accommodation experience. , is an ongoing project leading to the next renovation.

This project, undertaken by ARTH Group Co., Ltd. (Tosashimizu Resort LLC), which handles accommodation businesses and regional revitalization nationwide, aims to revitalize the entire city of Tosashimizu by transforming the long-established Ashizuri Pacific Hotel Hanatsubaki, a renowned inn at Cape Ashizuri in Kochi Prefecture, into "The Mana Village," one of Asia's leading resort facilities. The facility is located in the naturally rich area of Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park. Although it boasts a spectacular view, the hotel's interiors remained old, as if time had stopped in the Showa era. Initially, the plan was to install a small cafe area, but through repeated discussions, ARTH's vision expanded to include not only the hotel but also the entire Kochi prefecture and Tosashimizu city. It was reborn as a complex facility including an Italian restaurant, offering a luxurious space where guests can experience the nature of Ashizuri. Our company participated from the planning and concept design stage to enhance the facility's appeal, and was in charge of producing the facade, lobby common areas, guest rooms, and restaurant spaces, which are the face of the hotel. (design supervision for guest rooms and Italian restaurant) Starting with "LOQUAT Nishi-Izu" (renovation of an old house into an auberge) which we handled in 2021, we have been working as ARTH's creative partner, producing spaces that contribute to the creation and revitalization of attractive towns.

This project is an upcycling initiative that displays "SCRAP," a byproduct of building and interiors materials, into "FURNITURE" for reuse and return to the Earth. According to the Ministry of the Environment, Japan's industrial waste generation in fiscal year 2020 amounted to 373.82 million tons*, with nearly 1 million tons of scrap generated per day. We, as creators who work with a variety of materials daily in our concept design work, believe we have a responsibility to take the lead in communicating to society and our communities about the recycling of limited Earth resources. We have formed a team of young creators within the company and are planning and operating this project as a social contribution activity. We enclose and complement shredded waste materials as furniture in a transparent surface made of recycled vinyl, and displays in an art-style displays to convey our message, touring offices and public spaces both domestically and internationally. This project is a traveling sustainability initiative that involves displays materials for a certain period, then returning them to interiors and construction sites as interiors resources, and finally encapsulating, supplementing, and displays the next batch of waste materials. To reach a wider audience, a launch displays was held in the entrance space of our own office to solicit sponsoring companies, and we have received support from many sponsoring companies, local residents, and educational institutions. By allowing people to "see, learn about, and touch" "interiors waste materials" that they don't usually see in their daily lives, we are creating an installation-style displays that allows everyone to intuitively grasp the message, hoping to provide an "opportunity" to think about a better future and a sustainable society. *Source: Ministry of the Environment, "Total Emissions in FY2020"

WEAZER, developed by ARTH Co., Ltd., is an off-grid residential module that generates electricity using solar power and produces water by filtering and sterilizing rainwater, making it installable even in locations without electricity, gas, or water infrastructure. In addition, it is characterized by its ability to be installed in a short construction period of just a few days, as it is manufactured in a factory and transported. By incorporating this latest technology, it realizes a world where people can stay anywhere in the world without harming nature, simply by "placing" it, and the first model has now opened in West Izu as a single-unit rental accommodation. Our company was in charge of design supervision and FF&E design and production for this facility.

This project involves renovating an old farmhouse in the Kodohi district of Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, into a rental accommodation facility. This district was once a quiet area where a local magistrate resided, and the plan is to provide a stay that incorporates the surrounding environment, allowing guests to experience a slower pace of life that transcends time. The main house will be equipped with a kitchen and will offer services such as dinner by a visiting chef and alcohol service from a mobile bar. For interiors, local materials will be used, such as earthen walls made from local soil and a dining table made from locally sourced cherry wood, attempting to create a space using local materials, just as in the Edo period. [Social Issues/Client Issues/Requests] In order to make the most of the old farmhouse as a rental facility, the client requested an attractive spatial concept design that takes into account the characteristics of the site. [Solutions] While utilizing the charm of the existing building, the design incorporates a spatial configuration that maximizes the surrounding views and finishes that utilize local soil and other materials. <Our Project Members> [Sales & Project Management] Shinya Hiratsuka, Nobuyuki Yagi [Overall Supervision] Norio Koito [Planning] Saki Ninomiya [design, layout] Hirofumi Inoue ~Related Links~ [Press Releases] ・ NOMURA Co.,Ltd. 's Social Good Activities: The Case of LOQUAT Villa SUGURO Creating an Auberge Space that Reflects the Charm of the Region ・Projects for NOMURA Co.,Ltd. handled spatial concept design receive numerous awards, including a Silver Award, at the "Japan Spatial concept design Awards 2022" [Related Achievements] ・LOQUAT Nishi-Izu

Located near Shijo Omiya in Kyoto, this project renovated an entire alley lined with townhouses built over 110 years ago into an inn. Passing through the reception building, you will find 23 guest rooms, a warehouse, and a restaurant building lined up along the stone-paved alley, creating a gorgeous view reminiscent of the entertainment district of the Edo period. There are five types of guest rooms, all themed on the natural beauty of Kyoto, allowing you to experience the charm of the region in both tangible and intangible culture. The restaurant building in the center of the alley houses a Japanese beef restaurant, making it a unique space that promotes Japanese culture, including food, to the world. The site is approximately 1,400 m2 and includes 26 wooden buildings, making this the largest renovation project in Kyoto's history, attracting attention from Kyoto City.