Works#Conversion

As a hotel that introduces "Kyoto Toji Temple" in an easy-to-understand manner that cannot be fully enjoyed in a one-time sightseeing trip, the little-known Buddha statue mandala is illustrated, and you can walk around the city freely opening and closing while comparing the old and the modern. In the lobby, we installed a map, a large table where you can copy sutras with sand, and a wall artwork of Buddha smiling with a motion sensor. In addition, the full-size pillar with a motif of a five-storied pagoda was used as a bookshelf to impart wisdom because the actual central pillar itself is a mandala.

The former Suzuki Residence, a large estate in the Toi district of Nishi-Izu consisting of a main house and three storehouses, has been a beloved central presence in the community since the Edo period. With the "value of experiencing antique beauty" in mind, the buildings and exterior have been renovated to create an auberge with two guest rooms. The main house's cramped layout has been revised to create a sense of spaciousness in all directions, ensuring modern comfort. The three storehouses were designed to preserve the atmosphere of the past by utilizing the unique spatial characteristics of each and adding minimal concept design elements. Two of the storehouses were renovated into guest rooms with luxurious outdoor open-air baths, and one was converted into a lounge and spa. The result is an auberge that blends seamlessly with the surrounding accommodations and is loved by the community. [Social Issues/Customer Issues/Requests] While Toi has long been a popular hot spring inn town, the lack of variety in restaurants, cafes that serve as tourist hubs, and tourist content that utilizes the food resources of Nishi-Izu has resulted in low tourist spending, which has been a long-standing issue. The client's request for this facility development was not to prioritize business profitability, but rather to create a facility that would benefit the community and be accepted and loved by both tourists and local residents. [Solution] Our company respected the passage of time the buildings had accumulated on this land, and we believed that it was necessary to find the unique character of each building and transform it into an attractive concept design. We revised the floor plan while considering the structural burden of the existing non-conforming buildings, and by respecting the character of each building, we were able to create the charm of each facility itself. For example, the main house has a deep roof structure, the first storehouse, which has been converted into a lounge, has roughly painted plaster walls, the second storehouse, which is a lodging building, has a dynamic one-room space, and the third storehouse has a two-story vertical expansion and earthen walls hidden behind the wooden walls. [Client's Voice] Despite the short deadline, the former Suzuki residence, which represents the history of Toi, was restored with extremely high-quality concept design and construction techniques. As a result, not only tourists who come to "LOQUAT Nishi-Izu," but also local residents visit almost every day, and it has become a place of relaxation that provides a little bit of richness in their daily lives. Every day, not only the accommodation buildings but also the restaurants, bakeries, and gelaterias are bustling with activity, often fully booked or sold out. <Our Project Members> [Sales & Project Management] Shinya Hiratsuka, Nobuyuki Yagi [Planning] Saki Ninomiya [design, layout] Norio Koito, Hirofumi Inoue, Tadahiro Nakajima, Ryotaro Tezuka [Production & construction] Jun Endo, Takayuki Inoue, Nohara Kikuchi

This project involved converting the former Kiyomizu Elementary School building, which has a history of approximately 90 years and remains in the Kiyomizu area of Kyoto, into a hotel. While inheriting its distinctive design, it was reborn as a hotel that also possesses modern comforts. Our company was in charge of architectural design supervision, interiors design, layout, and FF&E concept design and construction. Kiyomizu Elementary School is one of the schools that has been recognized for its unique architectural features in its location, exterior decoration, and interiors concept design. Based on the hotel's concept of "etching memories and connecting to the future," we paid the utmost respect to the historical Western architecture and its interior space, creating concept design that revives memories while preserving and passing them on. Furthermore, we fused the architecture and interior space as new functions to express both nostalgia and newness. [Client's Challenges/Requests] It was necessary to design a hotel that would function while making use of the existing historical elementary school building. It was also necessary to have repeated discussions about what kind of hotel would be accepted by the Kyoto community. [Solution] We worked with creators on every detail, from architecture, landscape, interior, FF&E, artwork, graphics, and uniforms, to create a completely new and unique space. While preserving the corridors and staircases where elementary school children once ran around, opening the doors to the classrooms where children studied allows you to step into a completely different, contemporary world. To maximize the value of the existing details that have etched the history of the architecture and interior space, we focused on materials that do not assert themselves but instead highlight the materials themselves. The reflection of the semi-glossy materials further enhances the existing architectural design. We aimed to create a spatial composition based on "reinterpretation" that can only be experienced here, by harmoniously balancing the total concept design coordination of artwork, graphics, uniforms, and interiors and FF&E concept design. <Our Project Members> [Sales/Project Management] Toru Moenuki [design, layout, design supervision] A.N.D.: Ryu Kosaka, Shohei Urata, Hiroki Yasuda / Hiroyuki Nishikawa [FF&E concept design] A.N.D.: Kaori Sano

NOMURA Co.,Ltd. opened a new office in March 2021 in the Daiba Garden City Building adjacent to the Head Office building (Odaiba, Tokyo) to accommodate the new normal era. NOMURA Co.,Ltd. The Group's goal is to activate communication and better creativity among employees while taking advantage of the Group's diverse work styles and values. NOMURA Co.,Ltd. The Group launched a project in 2019 to consolidate Group company locations with the aim of creating an environment in which employees can work together more closely and synergistically. Facing the changes in work styles and social issues arising from the Corona disaster, we sought to create a realistic office space for the New Normal era with the three keywords of "health," "experimentation," and "brand" to create the "way of the future work. We believed that the function of the office in the new normal era would change from a "workplace" to an "innovative space that triggers communication," where a diverse range of people from inside and outside the company can gather and actively exchange ideas and opinions in a way that only the real world can offer. To this end, the communication space "RESET SPACE_2" was designed based on the concept of a "Unique Park," a park-like space that can be used by all employees to accommodate diverse and unique work styles. The space is made of 100% fair wood. CONFERIUM is a proposal for a new meeting room area, and is an attempt to "act displays in the way we work" by daring to actively showcase unique meetings. The know-how used in the displays space is applied to the office space, for example, by darkening the common corridor to make the conference room stand out as displays. The creative office area has adopted a group address system. The creative floor is designed to allow concept design work with an awareness of the "concept design feeling" of scale and materials, which is a major advantage when conducting concept design work. By clarifying the purpose of the space, we were able to create a sophisticated space at a low cost. This project was planned, designed, construction and managed by the NOMURA Co.,Ltd. group.

"Sho-u-kan" is a part of the former residence of Count Abe, the former lord of the Fukuyama Domain, built in 1892 in Nishikata-cho, Hongo-ku, Tokyo. In 1971, Tokio Kasuga, the founder of Green Stamp Co., Ltd., relocated and restored it in Karuizawa, and it has been used as a memorial hall for the Green Stamp Karuizawa dormitory. In 2020, Sho-u-kan was renovated at the same time as the newly renovated annex, to be used as a retreat facility by both Green Stamp Co., Ltd. and Kennedyx Co., Ltd. Our company was in charge of the design and interior administration of the Sho-u-kan renovation, including seismic retrofitting, as well as the installation of FF&E (First Floor & Energy) equipment throughout the facility. [Social Issues / Customer Issues / Requests] Since its initial relocation, various additions and renovations have been carried out, and the connection to the other building is only made at the point of a corridor, and structural stress has been placed on the building, resulting in settlement. The entire facility was aging, and in the case of Sho-u-kan, it was difficult to use in winter due to the climate of Karuizawa. Also, although it originally had tatami mats, the frequency of its use had decreased due to changes in the lifestyle of Japanese people. However, there was a desire to renovate it while preserving as much of its original appearance as possible. [Solution] Based on an investigation of Sho-u-kan, it was restored as much as possible to its simple form from when it was relocated, and a seismic diagnosis was conducted to reinforce the structure to withstand seismic forces equivalent to those stipulated by the Building Standards Act. It faces the annex across a courtyard, giving a sense of unity to the entire facility. While respecting the original design as much as possible, the aim was to extend the period of use, including winters other than the coldest period, by installing insulation and air conditioning equipment in the unseen parts. Underfloor heating was installed and the flooring was changed to hardwood, and the walls added for seismic reinforcement were made to express the original image of the walls, fixtures, etc., and the upper half of the space was preserved as much as possible of the original design. <Our Project Members> [Sales] Kayu Tatsumi [Survey, design, layout, and interior administration] NAU1: Norio Koito [Production and construction] Mikiya Fujitaka

A storehouse in the samurai residences of Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture has been renovated into a lodging facility. The concept is "KURA STAY," and the hotel is a cultural experience hotel where the lifestyle of the time has been preserved in the storehouse. The hotel consists of three storehouses, the "Bushigura," the "Gakkogura," and the "Tamonogura," for rent. The space incorporates Kakunodate's traditional crafts of birch crafts and Iburi-gakko production scenes, textile art such as plant dyeing, and samurai family crests, providing a local cultural experience throughout the stay. In addition, decorations have been provided in cooperation with local shops, and information is provided within the facility, which also serves as a tourist hub to encourage travel.

Hoshino Resorts' new concept, "OMO," a hotel specializing in urban tourism, was launched in the spring of 2018. The first hotel to open under this new concept, "OMO7 Asahikawa," is a rebranding project of a long-established local hotel. The brand concept is "An urban tourism hotel that elevates the excitement of travel, not just a place to sleep." It incorporates various playful and engaging elements throughout the space to further enhance the appeal of service content that connects travelers and locals and makes exploring the city more enjoyable, proposing a new communication concept design for the hotel market.