Works#2024

Nagano Children's Center "Naganobi!" is an indoor play facility created by completely renovating the former Nagano City Children's Science Center. Based on the concept of "nurturing children's life skills × an indoor park where everyone can feel comfortable and relaxed," it features nature, animals, and science as themes, and uses organic shapes reminiscent of forests and space, along with a highly circulating spatial configuration, to create an environment where children aged 0-12 can learn actively while playing with their whole bodies. The playground is themed around the nature of Nagano and features the "Forest Exploration Plaza," which encourages diverse physical activities such as swaying, spinning, climbing, grasping, and crawling to foster sensory integration (*), and the "Space Athletics," where children can play using their whole bodies in a light-based space. Furthermore, there is the "Science and Creativity Plaza," which consists of science shows, crafts, hands-on experiences of scientific principles, and digital experiences, as well as a large ball coaster themed around apple trees that allows children to enjoy sounds and movements, and a wood education plaza where children can feel the warmth of wood, offering a variety of play and learning experiences. It has been reborn as an "indoor park" where children can play to their hearts' content and the whole family can enjoy a comfortable time together. *Sensory integration: The function of appropriately classifying, organizing, and integrating multiple sensations that enter the body through various sensory organs.

%ARABICA, a coffee shop brand originating in Kyoto, has opened its first roastery in U-Venues, a complex located in the heart of New Cairo, a satellite city of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt, located in North Africa through which the Nile River flows, is dotted with ancient ruins across its vast desert landscape. While this region retains a strong sense of history and culture, modern urban development is also progressing daily. Inspired by this unique location and the quarries that produce the pyramids, a symbol of Egypt, the space was concept design using the element of "stacking." To express the irregular landscape of the quarry throughout the space, 800mm square limestone modules were stacked in a staircase-like fashion from the roasting room and coffee counter to the seating area, creating random flow and differences in elevation, resulting in a comfortable space with just the right amount of openness. Furthermore, while the baristas, roasters, and bean bags are symbolically highlighted with a full-surface luminous film, the seating area features surface illumination limited to the benches where guests stay, creating a contrasting space. The entrance floor and the walls of the niche seating areas incorporate original Arabic hieroglyphs, modeled after ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, as interior elements, creating a space that blends traditional elements with modern expression.

"Ginza Niigata Information Center THE NIIGATA" is Niigata Prefecture's information hub for the Tokyo metropolitan area. Spanning five floors from the basement to the 3rd and 8th floors, it offers a variety of functions including retail spaces, a sake tasting corner, event spaces, a restaurant, and a consultation service for people considering relocating to Niigata. Our company was responsible for the design construction of the basement to the 3rd floor, as well as the facility's branding planning and brand logo development. In addition to Niigata's rich attractions such as "rice," "sake," and "snow," we planned the facility with "art" as the central theme of the planning and concept design. Through the use of Niigata-derived materials and displays scattered throughout, we aimed to create a facility that would allow people to feel the charm of Niigata and inspire them to visit Niigata.

We renovated "Mitette," a new interaction area at the Kyoto Aquarium, located within Umekoji Park in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City, which attracts a wide range of visitors from children to adults. The new area offers a variety of functions, including displays about the aquarium, workshops, and a rest area. The space is designed to help visitors appreciate the Kyoto Aquarium even more by learning not only about the animals themselves, but also about the staff's passion for them and the activities of the staff and the aquarium.

Technos College Tokyo Air Travel & Hotel College This is a renovation project for two classrooms, the "Bridal Room" and the "Presentation Room," used by the Bridal Department. Based on the theme of "mariage (harmony)," the "Bridal Room" aims to be a warm and glamorous space where users can naturally imagine their future lifestyles through wedding planning. It is also designed to be a practical learning space for students, nurturing their imagination and ability to make proposals to materialize their dreams. The "Presentation Room" is a space that will become a "hub of encounters and ideas" where students from all departments can gather to exchange opinions and engage in creative activities. Natural materials are used, and the lighting and acoustics are adjusted to create a harmonious learning environment that will help students develop the ability to produce life events.

This project involved the renovation of the practical training room for the Game Creator Department at Technos College Tokyo Institute of Technology (Koganei City, Tokyo). Our company was responsible for everything from concept design and environmental features to interiors construction. Starting with the initial request to create a classroom where students could imagine themselves working at a game company in five years, we conducted numerous interviews with the teachers and learned that the underlying desire was for them to "imagine their future without being confined to the game industry." Therefore, we proposed a concept design concept called "Game Creator's Labo" that would allow students to imagine themselves as creators in their own right, without being limited to the realm of games.

"Sapporo Flower Carpet 2024" is a citizen-participatory art event held primarily in front of the Hokkaido Government Red Brick Building and at Sapporo's Kita 3-jo Plaza, where a large floral painting is created using Hokkaido's flower petals and natural materials. It aims to showcase the beauty of Hokkaido and Sapporo's floral landscapes and promote the floriculture industry. Started in 2014, this year marks the 10th anniversary, with approximately 3,800 volunteers involved in the production and approximately 640,000 visitors. The 2024 event will be held from June 28th (Fri) to 30th (Sun). Fujie Suzuki, a Sapporo native and Art Director at NOMURA Co.,Ltd. IVD, was invited to design the anniversary carpet (main carpet) to commemorate the 10th anniversary. NOMURA Co.,Ltd. IVD also handled the key visual for the event. The theme of the anniversary carpet is "Spinning Towards the Future." The carpet is the largest ever at 225 square meters, and was concept design and created by Suzuki himself, who was the first Japanese person to concept design the "Brussels Flower Carpet 2016" and received high praise both domestically and internationally. NOMURA Co.,Ltd. is providing special cooperation, concept design the anniversary carpet and key visuals, and providing public relations and volunteer support. The Sapporo Flower Carpet has been held since 2014. It is operated by a public-private partnership organization consisting of the government (Hokkaido and Sapporo City) and private companies. It is working to cultivate human resources who will be responsible for improving regional value, to operate with citizen volunteers from diverse groups ranging from young children to people working nearby and foreign residents, and to promote understanding of Hokkaido's flower industry for the next generation through collaboration with elementary and high schools.

Yawataya Isogoro's shichimi spice tins are renowned as a souvenir from Shinshu (Nagano Prefecture). To commemorate the 100th anniversary of their sale, displays was held with the theme "Anatomy of the Shichimi Tin." The exhibition unravels the secrets contained within the small tin from the perspectives of history, materials, and concept design. Panel concept design resembling unfolded labels enveloped the small venue, and the shichimi spice tin, a beloved supporting player on the dinner table, took center stage, adorning the space. Furthermore, this exhibition was held at the Citizen's Gallery of the Nagano Prefectural Museum of Art and recorded the highest number of visitors ever for a gallery displays.

Since its founding in 1980, FOXEY has consistently pursued the concept of "clothing that accentuates the beauty of women," making it a unique Made-in-Japan brand. The "FOXEY ADEAM KITTE Osaka store" opened in KITTE Osaka, a new landmark in Osaka, and became the first street-level store in the Osaka area. Our company was in charge of interiors construction work.

This is a renovation project for an inn located in the western part of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture. This project is the second and third phase renewal of "Atara Yoru Nishiizu," named after a poem in the Manyoshu collection, "A wonderful night that is a pity to see it end." In the first phase, we renovated the suites and bar, in the second phase, we renovated the guest rooms, and in the third phase, we renovated the façade, lobby, rooftop terrace (foot bath), common corridor, and live kitchen, and we were in charge of the complete renovation. We created an experience where you can enjoy the evening, with spacious and comfortable guest rooms where young couples and married couples can relax, a lobby where you can roast and eat marshmallows while soaking your feet in a foot bath, and a rooftop terrace with a foot bath where you can enjoy watching the horizon of Nishiizu.

We concept design the entire house, from design administration concept design the interior and concept design. The site overlooks the Sea of Japan, and the surrounding area is characterized by a complex, intricate ria coastline, known as a scenic spot with dynamic geological formations called "caves." Looking at the surrounding area, a labyrinthine network of alleys creates a unique streetscape. This is a characteristic of the region, with its cranked, square-shaped intersections designed to prevent northerly winds from blowing through. By incorporating this unique alley configuration into the first-floor plan, we segmented the building volume and harmonized it with the surrounding environment. The exterior and entrance hall are designed to resemble the topography of the ria coastline, and the setback from the south ensures continuity with the streetscape. On the other hand, the north facade is raised one level above the surrounding area, creating a three-dimensional, square-shaped structure intended to prevent northerly winds from blowing through into the town. Regarding the exterior finish, in order to reflect the distinctive appearance of the ria coast, where the lower part is rocky and the upper part is covered with trees, we used exposed aggregate concrete to resemble rock on the lower layer and wood-grain concrete made with cedar formwork on the upper layer. Both the aggregate that is exposed on the surface and the cedar formwork materials are locally sourced, and we hope that the unique texture created by these materials will weave the distinctive scenery of the location into the future. In addition, this two-tiered structure is also applied to the interior finishes, creating a sense of unity with the architecture and contributing to the development of a cohesive feel between the interior and exterior.

Green Park FLOOP, operated by Fujifilm Business Innovation, opened in 2024 as an experiential facility where adults can make new discoveries and children can learn and think freely, allowing them to experience various technologies related to multifunction printers, learn about environmental issues and Fujifilm Business Innovation's technologies in an easy-to-understand way, and explore a sustainable future for our planet. In its four experiential displays zones (Studio, Technology, Think, Action), visitors can learn interactively about future urban development, multifunction printer technology, and environmental issues. The adjoining Cafe & Co-work offers environmentally conscious menus based on the concept of "circulation." Throughout the facility, the company expresses its commitment to the environment and technological innovation, while providing visitors with an opportunity to think about and act on a sustainable future. The aim was to create a new learning space that is open to the community and enjoyable for both adults and children.

The "REVERSE AREA" inside the Maruhan Sendai Kuratake store, which recently opened in Sendai City, is a new kind of rest space where you can feel relaxed in contrast to the heat of the pachinko hall. To evoke the combination of the hall's energy and a relaxing space, we focused on the flow of sauna, cold bath, and outdoor air bathing, and incorporated healing and relaxing content into the room. To maximize the healing effect of water, we used a device that shakes a water basin to project ripples onto the space, a refreshing forest scent aroma, original healing sounds, and selected reclining chairs and bowl-type chairs, creating a place where you can immerse yourself in "relaxation" with all your senses. Our company was in charge of planning and basic concept, design, layout, building execution, environmental features, and signage and graphic concept design.

The Meiji Memorial Oiso Residence and Garden was established in 2017 as part of the "150th Anniversary of the Meiji Era" related initiatives, and is being developed to showcase the historical residence and garden as a unified space. In the Okuma and Mutsu districts, which opened to the public in November 2024, our company planned and produced video content introducing the architectural features and highlights of the residence, displays conveying the achievements and personalities of people associated with the site, and renovation projects aimed at repairing and strengthening the historical building. We also handled the repair of furniture, furnishings, and interiors. The exhibit, which uses a model to clearly and visually represent the differences between the former building and the current displays, and allows visitors to see the differences not only in the exterior but also in the room layout by making the roof section of the model accessible, has been well received by visitors.

Opened in April 2024, ESPRIT C. KEI GINZA is a restaurant created by Chef Kei Kobayashi of the Parisian French restaurant "Restaurant KEI" and Toraya, a Japanese confectionery shop founded in the late Muromachi period. In Tokyo's Ginza district, where tradition and modernity coexist and diverse food cultures can be enjoyed, the aim was to create a restaurant that transcends the boundaries of French cuisine, pursuing innovation in gastronomy with free thinking and without any constraints. Not only the chefs, but everyone who works here learns and researches ingredients, sharing the essence of gastronomy with customers who visit, and hoping that not only the food, but the entire experience here will satisfy the hearts of the customers. ESPRIT C. KEI GINZA is, in a sense, a "gastronomic research institute" that embodies Chef Kei Kobayashi's vision. The restaurant consists of a main dining area with lively counter seating centered around an open kitchen, the heart of culinary creation, and tables covered in wood concept design, as well as a private room with a private kitchen designed to resemble a research institute. France is said to have a culture of stone, while Japan has a culture of wood. This restaurant blends the cultures of both countries, creating a new space where French and Japanese cultures meet in harmony with stone and wood. The ceiling concept design, which spans the entire floor, expresses tradition and innovation through a dynamic composition that changes from a traditional checkered pattern to an innovative cave-like installation.