Creating spaces that move people's hearts. The challenge of designers aiming to become a world-class concept design team.

Minehito Yoshimura joined the company in 2007 and is currently the room chief at the First concept design Center of the Creative Headquarters. He has worked on a wide range concept design, from commercial spaces to private residences, and is committed to creating spaces that move people's hearts with his unique philosophy of "concept design the entire atmosphere." He talks about his passion for his work and his new challenges as a designer.
 

"concept design the entire air" - Behind the scenes of a project that creates new value

Yoshimura belongs to NOMURA concept design Center concept design Division 5, Creative Headquarters. As a room chief, he works with the planning team on a wide range of concept design from commercial spaces to residential buildings.

Yoshimura: "Specifically, I have concept design over 10 houses, including private residences, as well as a casual Italian restaurant, a luxury watch shop in Ginza, and a members-only salon for the wealthy. I am involved in a wide range of projects, from large to small lifestyle spaces."

Yoshimura's work is not limited to simply creating spaces. There is a consistent desire to concept design the atmosphere and the movements of people's minds.

Yoshimura: "I often tell my clients that I will 'concept design the entire atmosphere,' but that doesn't mean I'm just trying to make the space look cool and innovative. I focus on how the space will create a wonderful atmosphere for the time you spend there, and carefully consider the floor plan. This is true not only for residential buildings, but also for restaurants and hotels."

One of the features of Yoshimura's work is his collaboration with the planning team, which is particularly effective in projects that aim to create new value.

Yoshimura: For example, Anniversaire Omotesando. In the large-scale renovation project to mark the 25th anniversary of the opening, the client wanted to make the venue more open to the town and to try new uses for it beyond just being a wedding venue.

The inclusion of the planning team enabled us to carry out in-depth analysis of related data from perspectives other than concept design, such as the characteristics of people who visit Omotesando, trends in the wedding market, and the worldview desired for corporate parties. They also helped us put concept design into words well, which added depth to concept design of each floor and made it easier to communicate to customers. I think the interesting thing about NOMURA is the environment where we can cooperate across team boundaries, and I've learned a lot from it."

Yoshimura's attitude towards work is filled with a spirit of challenge, always trying to create something new.

Yoshimura: "Almost all of our clients want to create new ways of using things and scenes that have never been seen before, and we look forward to new worldviews and ideas. Sometimes we are asked to have a global perspective, not just a Japanese one. When working on such challenging projects, we always keep in mind that we want to have fun with concept design.

When you try to create something new, you hit a lot of obstacles. But I think it's important to enjoy even that process. When you start to hear people say, "I'm looking forward to the finished product," that's a sign that you're on the way to a good concept design. Ultimately, the important indicators are whether it's a space that you want to take your loved ones to and whether you're excited about it."

"Spaces that blend into people's lives." A passion for concept design that connects people and spaces

Yoshimura says that what inspired him to pursue a career in spatial concept design was an experience he had in high school.

Yoshimura: When I was in high school, I often went to a local coffee chain to study. I noticed that a cup of coffee costing just 140 yen was part of the daily lives of many different people. There was a regular old man who came at the same time every week, someone who teaches English conversation, and a couple who always sat at the same table and chatted.

"The space that people can spend time in for 140 yen enriches people's lives. The moment I realized this, I wanted to concept design the space for a shop like this. So I talked to my art teacher about it, and the day after he told me about art colleges, I started going to an art prep school."

With a strong passion for spatial concept design he went on to study at an art university. During his time at university, he had the opportunity to take a class from Shigechiyo Suzuki, the current Executive Creative Director of NOMURA, and through his interactions after class, he began to develop an interest in the company.

Yoshimura: "Every time we met, he would talk about his work with a smile on his face and look like he was having fun. Suzuki was in his mid-50s at the time. Seeing someone with many subordinates talking about their work with such enthusiasm made me think, 'This company's designers are so lively and energetic.' So I started to look into NOMURA, had an interview and decided to join the company."

After joining the company, Yoshimura began his career as concept design in the commercial environment company, and in 2010, he joined the concept design team called "AND".

Yoshimura: AND is a group of designers specializing in creating high-quality spaces, led by Ryu Kosaka (Senior Executive Officer Chief concept design Officer NOMURA). For about 10 years, Kosaka thoroughly drilled into me the essence of concept design.

Among them, I will never forget the first time I was entrusted with the project of a restaurant called"GENIE'S TOKYO". I learned the difficulty of creating a restaurant while considering various factors such as the profitability and facilities of the restaurant, and the flow of staff and customers. As a designer, I did not just draw pictures, but also worked with people from various industries to create a restaurant."

Through this experience, Yoshimura realized the dynamism of how a single line he drew can move many people and money, as well as the weight of responsibility that comes with it.

Yoshimura: "There was a time when I had them make something based on the pictures and blueprints I had drawn, and they made a mistake... I had to apologise and ask them to fix it, and that was a project where I really felt the weight of failure.

At the same time, I learned a lot about the importance of human connections. Thankfully, I was able to become friendly with the people on-site, and they helped me out when I had trouble with work later on. I really felt the importance of relationships with people on-site, not just concept design."

A novel concept design approach to envisioning the future of rich living

In 2021, Yoshimura returned to NOMURA, where he formed his own team and assumed the role of room chief. Since then, he has worked on two memorable projects.

Yoshimura: "The first one was DearHomes Mita(a renovation project for an apartment building for the wealthy). It all started with the work I did at AND, and the client I was in charge of contacted me and said, 'I heard you've returned to NOMURA Co., Ltd. We'd love to work with you again.' To be honest, I was surprised. It wasn't as a member of AND, the team that Kosaka was on, but as a request for work from me personally. I was very happy that they appreciated my careful work and my approach to concept design back then."

Yoshimura says that he was passionate about this project in order to meet the client's expectations, and took on the challenge of residence concept design from a new perspective.

Yoshimura: "In the housing market for the wealthy, calm tones and colors that create a sense of peace were mainstream. But my experience in restaurants and commercial facilities made me think that it would be good to incorporate more upbeat, uplifting colors and concept design into homes.

For example, we proposed using color in the main areas that would normally be white, and flipping over a shelf so that it changes from wood to colored leather, making it easy to rearrange the home just like changing your clothes."

This innovative approach will lead to our next big project.

Yoshimura: "When I spoke with art director Shun Kawakami for a talk show at nomlog*, he was very interested in the design process for this house and the way we express the richness of the home. He asked me if I'd like to work with him, and that led to the job of concept design a new bathroom concept for LIXIL."

This project gave Yoshimura the opportunity to completely rethink his concept of bathroom space.

Yoshimura: "When planning the layout of the living room or bedroom, I thought carefully about the position of the walls, the visibility of the storage, the line of sight, colors, and so on, but I realized that I hadn't really thought much about the spatial composition of the bathroom. I wanted to suggest ways for people to enjoy the bath that would allow them to choose from a variety of options, so I concept design it around a time axis. By simply installing a small curved wall in the bath, I proposed an idea that would allow people's moods to change between the time they spend washing and the time they spend soaking in the water.

Furthermore, I also emphasized the importance of expanding the range of options. A home is one of the most expensive purchases you make in life, yet I feel like the styles available are limited. I thought that reflecting the breadth of options available in bathroom concept design like when choosing a mobile phone or clothes, would lead to the richness of a home, so I increased the color and concept design options."

Through these projects, Yoshimura has deeply considered the richness of housing and proposed new values, bringing about a change in the hearts of those who spend time in these spaces.


*nomlog: https://www.nomlog.nomurakougei.co.jp/
This is the NOMURA Group's media that pursues the possibilities of "space" and "experience." Spatial creation professionals will share behind-the-scenes information about projects, their daily efforts, and their own unique insights.

"Aiming to be the designer team of choice" - Yoshimura Room's challenge to connect with people and create spaces

Yoshimura says that what makes his job rewarding is the connections he makes with people.

Yoshimura: "I strongly feel that creating a space cannot be done by one person alone. No matter how talented a designer is, it won't come to fruition without the craftsmen who can bring it to life. And of course, it can't begin without customers. That's why I continue doing this job, because I love the sense of accomplishment that comes from creating something together.

When a long-term project is over, we sometimes create a photo album as a gift for the client. It includes concept design sketches that we have never shown before, inspections at the factory, and photos we have taken up until now. I really love the moment when we can share the good work we have made together."

Yoshimura, who has always placed great importance on building connections with people, had this to say about his vision for the future:

Yoshimura: "I want to take on the challenge and see how well my work will be accepted on the world stage in a few years' time. Even if I'm in charge of a facility in Japan, the people using it are customers who have seen wonderful places all over the world. I have to create something that many different people will find wonderful. With that in mind, I'm feeling a strong desire to see for myself whether my aesthetic sense and sensibility are really acceptable overseas."

The Yoshimura Room also has clear goals.

Yoshimura: "For the past four years, our goal has been to become a design team that people choose. This is a pretty big goal, and it's not something that can be easily achieved. But we will continue to set big goals, and ultimately we want to become designers that people request by name from overseas."

Finally, Yoshimura talks about the appeal of NOMURA

Yoshimura: "The appeal of NOMURA is that there are many people who are willing to help you, as well as seniors you can respect and juniors who inspire you. It's probably rare to be able to immediately think of a senior you respect in your own company, or a junior who you think is excellent.

I feel very blessed to be able to improve myself in an environment where I can discuss concept design on a daily basis. That's what's great about our company, which is why I'm still here."

With an eye on the world and in a stimulating and nurturing environment, Yoshimura will continue to pave the way for the future of spatial concept design by carefully considering each and every space.
 

*The information provided is current as of September 2024.