Architectural knowledge and passion for "creating human-centered spaces": The designer's challenge to realize his ideals

Architecture and spatial experiences—two interests he developed as a student—led Ando Yosuke's career at NOMURA Co.,Ltd. Since joining the company in 2005, he has been flexibly incorporating cutting-edge digital tools while working to create spaces that are in tune with how people spend their time. We explore his aspirations and journey as he continues to create experiential value through repeated challenges and innovation.

Involved from planning to construction and interiors- A concept design approach that maintains the concept

Ando is a member of the Creative Production Center "no.10" in the Creative Headquarters. He is involved in a wide range of projects from architecture to interior design, and is part of a team that concept design new experiences through space.

Ando: "The areas I'm in charge of vary depending on the project. Recently, I've worked on in-house recruiting spaces, apparel stores, and cafes in Saudi Arabia. Last year, I was in charge of everything from the architecture to interiors a house, and now I'm working on an experiential training facility that combines local specialties, and the renovation of a large commercial facility."

In recent years, there has been an increase in cases where Ando is involved in the entire process, from the early planning stages to architecture and interior design. Ando's specialty is large-scale projects that involve positioning facilities within the cityscape. He works closely with planners and is involved from the planning stage onwards.

Ando: "My team values clarity, which means turning the concept we came up with at the beginning into a concrete form. By being involved from the planning stage, it becomes easier to build a consistent concept for the entire facility, and I believe we can create a more complete space than if we were to proceed separately. However, it is difficult to complete everything on my own, so collaboration with a planner is essential."

At no.10, we place importance not only on the quality of concept design, but also on customer satisfaction throughout the process. As part of this, we use software called a game engine to visualize the finished product.

Ando: "Using a game engine allows you to experience the feeling of actually walking through the completed space. Unlike traditional still perspective drawings, it allows you to intuitively convey the image of the space, which speeds up the client's decision-making process and ultimately improves the quality of the project. It takes time and effort, but we use it in most of our projects."

Construction takes time and money, and it is not easy to redo something once it has been built.

Ando: "We want our clients to be satisfied before moving on to the next phase. To that end, we use digital tools to carefully reach a consensus. We believe this process is extremely important when creating a space."

A new perspective found at the intersection of culture and architecture

▲ "Yaskawa Electric Miraikan" Photo: Masato Kono, Nacasa & Partners

Interested in culture and art, Ando was attracted to the "charm of the space itself" when he visited the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art as a high school student, and decided to study architecture at university.

Ando: "At the time, architecture was primarily about creating boxes, or buildings, and I had the strong impression that architects created works that reflected their own personalities. However, as I continued to study, I began to think that I wanted to get closer to the people who live in the city and make proposals that were rooted in their actual lives.

I also like music, and I used to be a DJ when I was a student. I was attracted to a job that puts you in close contact with people because I could see the customers' joy up close and personal. That's also where my interest in interiors and display industry came from."

With these thoughts in mind, I went through my job search and came across NOMURA Co.,Ltd.

Ando: "I was attracted by the track record I saw in magazines and the sight of my university seniors enjoying their work. The relaxed atmosphere of the company building at the time was also appealing."

I decided to join the company because I felt it was an environment where I could create concept design that were close to the consumer. After joining the company, I was assigned to the communication concept design department, where I was in charge of designing corporate showrooms and event spaces. As I was involved in creating spaces, I began to develop a certain conviction.

Ando: "The way people spend their time can change dramatically depending on concept design and space. The shape of the space naturally guides people's gaze and movements. By designing how displays are displayed and how they are felt, you can improve the quality of the visitor's experience."

Ando deepened his knowledge of experience design through a process of "hypothesis, verification, and improvement." This approach came to fruition in 2015 with the experiential showroom "Yaskawa Electric Miraikan," for which he was primarily responsible.

Ando: "We worked on a space that would convey industrial robot and motor technology in an easy-to-understand way to the general public. As a facility to displays futuristic technology, concept design the space itself to have the atmosphere of being inside a robot, and used slanted walls instead of the usual vertical walls. We also created a distinctive space by using irregular shapes rather than 90-degree angles between the walls. We also installed LEDs in lines on the floor to express a futuristic feel by changing and flashing colors."

We also proactively made use of digital tools, and by creating the CG ourselves, we were able to create a more detailed spatial experience.

Ando: "In a design with many slanted walls, it's necessary to make small adjustments to the angles while checking how they actually look in 3D space. Usually, we outsource the creation of perspectives, but to create the intended space, it's much smoother to make the fine adjustments while verifying them yourself."

This project won multiple awards, and its approach to creating spaces that take into consideration people's experiences and behavior would go on to have a major impact on subsequent projects.

A unique space created by combining technology and passion

▲Houses on the Rias Coast

In 2016, he was transferred to "onndo", a concept design team in charge of commercial projects, which was what he had hoped for since joining the company. This team was the predecessor of no.10, where Ando still belongs today. There, he was tasked with a large-scale project to renovate the entire Times Square shopping complex in Shanghai, China.

Ando: "It was a complete renovation, including removing the floor and erecting a bridge, as well as completely renovating the exterior. It took about three years, and being able to conceive the entire space from scratch made it the ideal project for me."

This project also marked a turning point in the use of digital tools.

Ando: "When making proposals to foreigners, due to language and cultural differences, it's difficult to convey the intention with just 'drawings,' and I feel like it's hard for them to understand without 'visuals.' Because of this, I've had to make many revisions to the perspective in the past. After thinking about ways to improve this, I felt that nothing beats 'proposals that can be experienced,' so I decided to introduce VR."

This was an advanced initiative at the time, and was a method that was only implemented in a few cases within the company.

Ando: "During the presentation, I had the president wear VR goggles, and I operated the controller to let him experience the space. We also partnered with an external company to carry out analysis using the VR model. By measuring the brain waves of six subjects, we were able to quantify their feelings about the space, such as comfort. Being able to quantitatively show the difference before and after the renovation made the presentation much more persuasive."

In 2024, he took on the challenge of designing a private residence, "House on a Rias Coast" (KUKAN DESIGN AWARD 2025 Shortlist), a comprehensive project that involved working on everything from architecture to interior design.

Ando: "It was rare for NOMURA Co.,Ltd. to be entrusted with the design of a house, and the opportunity to be involved from the architectural stage was also valuable. In this project, we made full use of BIM (Building Information Model)* and managed data consistently from design to construction. It is like building an entire building in a digital space, and we consolidated all the information, including materials used, floor and wall specifications, and details of facilities.

We also sought to address the regional characteristic of the strong north winds that are unique to the Japan Sea coast by incorporating the city's alleyway structure into the architecture.

Ando: "The most enjoyable thing was being able to design not just the building itself, but also the relationship with the surrounding topography and streetscape, and the scenery as seen from the residents' perspective."

By making full use of digital technology and his extensive experience, Ando was able to realize design administration that had a consumer perspective. For Ando, this project allowed him to mobilize all of his knowledge and perspectives, and it won awards both in Japan and overseas.

*BIM is an abbreviation for Building Information Modeling. It is a system that improves work efficiency by storing "attributes" such as floors, walls, and ceilings in a 3D digital model, as well as "management information" such as finishes, costs, and schedules, and utilizing this information in design, construction, and maintenance.

A spatial concept design philosophy that draws us closer to people and depicts the future

Ando has pursued concept design that are in harmony with people's lives while working on everything from architecture to interior design. He says that the most rewarding part of his job is when he sees his customers happy.

Ando: "In architecture, it's difficult to see the big picture until completion, so it's a process of repeated hypothesis and verification. In that process, I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I realize that my hypothesis was correct, or when someone empathizes with my attention to detail. Above all, there is a joy that cannot be replaced by anything else, when I feel that I have contributed even a little to people's happiness."

When asked about his vision for the future, Ando expressed his joy at seeing the dreams he has had since his student days come true.

Ando: "I studied architecture as a student, but I joined NOMURA Co.,Ltd. because I wanted to do concept design that were closer to consumers and their daily lives. At the same time, I always had the desire to eventually get involved in architecture from a people-centered perspective.

Recently, I have been entrusted with more architectural projects, and I feel that I am getting closer to the ideal I had as a student. I would like to continue to pursue concept design always put people at the center, expanding my field from areas close to people, such as consumers and interiors, to architecture and urban development."

Nearly 20 years have passed since I joined the company, but my feelings about my work at NOMURA Co.,Ltd. have not changed.

Ando: "Looking back, NOMURA Co.,Ltd. provided an environment that offered many opportunities if you were willing to learn and take on challenges. I was extremely grateful that at each milestone, such as the introduction of digital tools or being transferred to another department, I was able to pursue my interests and challenges. I am grateful for the opportunities I was given."

From architecture to spatial design, and then to experience design. "Space has the power to change people's behavior," is Ando's belief, and he continues to take on new challenges on site today.

*The information provided is current as of May 2025.