Designer Insights: The Future of Offices
Vol.11 Transforming Nature into Offices: Norihisa Kawashima’s Design Philosophy
”Temple halls” as a symbol of passive design and flexible space
Three experiences led to Kawashima adopting his idea of “architecture connected with nature”. The first is the research of his university mentor, the architect Kazuhiko Namba, particularly his “Box House Series”. The second is his experience working on large-scale architecture at Nikken Sekkei, where he began his professional career. The third was studying at the University of California, Berkeley, where he learned about the latest approaches in sustainable architectural design and environmental simulation.
“First of all, Namba’s influence is extremely strong. I’ve developed those ideas further in my own way. It’s what brought me to sustainable architectural design.”
Namba’s residential “Box House” series is based on a single bare room – what in Japanese is described as garandō, or a temple hall. It features box-shaped spaces with large south-facing openings and deep eaves that provide for control of daylight and natural ventilation. Such passive design principles are at the core of the series, and the idea influences various aspects of it. Kawashima says that he also soaked in those fundamentals when he was a student.
“At Nikken Sekkei I was involved in the design of a large-scale office building called Sony City Osaki (now the NBF Osaki Building). Although its scale is very different from the Box House, both share an emphasis on the relationship with the environment and nature, and on the importance of technology. The construction of large buildings changes the light and wind patterns of a city and alters the surrounding environment. When realising this, I couldn’t help but feel a degree of inner conflict about it.”
“The interior space of an office building needs to secure as much workspace as possible and remain flexible. In that sense, it is quite similar to the temple hall concept of the Box House.”
The Box House is a typical example of passive design. Kawashima took that concept, changing its scale and adapting it for a different use. Inside the office building he leaves an open margin of free space while making sure that the parts of the building that come into contact with the city and the surrounding environment make the relationship better for both sides. This, he says, is the design philosophy he eventually arrived at.