Designer Insights: The Future of Offices
Vol.11 Transforming Nature into Offices: Norihisa Kawashima’s Design Philosophy
This time we introduce architect Norihisa Kawashima’s thinking on office buildings. The case study is a full-building renovation of a 30-year-old structure. Kawashima’s design philosophy, characterised by running cedar logs through structures and wrapping them in earth and greenery, embodies an era in which sustainability and wellbeing have become indispensable elements even for office buildings.
Report by: Yasushi Yamazaki／Journalist
A 30-year-old building reborn in harmony with nature
Norihisa Kawashima has attracted attention as an architect exploring a new design philosophy: whether architecture can be understood as a collection of “stages of circularity”. Many office buildings are now reaching the point where they need to be renovated. Rather than only renovating them, however, Kawashima argues that by incorporating the concept of material flows and treating buildings as “material banks” they can be regenerated into architecture in a way that’s better for the future.
One project that represents Kawashima’s design philosophy is the “GOOD CYCLE BUILDING 001 Asanuma Corporation Nagoya branch office repair project”. It was planned together with the company and has already become a local symbol.
The façade of the building, overflowing with earth, wood and greenery, is striking, in particular the cedar logs that run vertically from the second floor to the top floor. It stands out in an urban landscape dominated by glass walls and tiled buildings. Deep eaves moderate the seasonal sunlight, and unusually for an office building there are balconies where windows can be opened and occupants can step outside. The building was originally an eight-storey steel structure in central Nagoya, built 30 years ago.
“It all began when Asanuma Corporation approached us saying, ‘We want to develop the renewal of existing buildings as a new line of business, so we would like your advice’”, recalls Kawashima. “We believed that environmental considerations, thermal performance and zero-emission targets will become common and expected design thinking in the future, so we proposed themes that go even further – biophilic design, circularity and life.” Even now, some time after construction wrapped up in September 2021, this foresight has not faded in the slightest.
“You might find it hard to believe that this was originally a glass-wall building. There are many mid-scale buildings like this across Japan that meet the newer seismic standards. Their economic lifespan has ended and their comfort levels and environmental performance no longer match present expectations, but as structures they still have plenty of life left. We believe making use of them as stock is meaningful both from a sustainability and from a business perspective.”