Architecture Awards 2020

73 2020 Architecture Awards BUILD Sept20367 Interior Design Studio of the Year 2020 – Fukuoka Modern times come with an increased risk of us all living in a “grey spot”. Our concerns are changing, and sometimes we forget to find and create beauty in the world, even in the places in which we spend most of our time. Space Orchestra, an architecture and interior design firm working out of Japan, is rallying against this, and want to help each of their customers to find the colour and beauty of their spaces. fresh-face firm, founded in 2018, Space Orchestra work out of Fukuoka, Japan. They are led by the brilliant mind of Shinya Nomiyama. It’s his personal mission to make sure we bring colour to our spaces. Too often, people don’t spend the time and energy to find their colour, ending up living and working in a “grey spot”. Each space has potential, and he has been helping his clients bring that to the fore and make even the greyest of spaces beautiful. The interior design industry is competitive, but Space Orchestra’s philosophy and approach have helped them to shine in the crowd. They want to push the methodology used in the modern industry and couple rationalisation with AI and technology. They now have IT technologies to analyse and gather information on a never-before-seen scale. It lets them help each customer find their perfect design, and help each space find its true potential. To Shinya Nomiyama, the heart of their work lies in aligning the logical structure and the emotion of a place. How a building is formed, the structure, the scale and shape, can all be used to maximise the potential beauty of the interior. A fantastic example of this ethos in action is a recent project new construction of an insurance office. An insurance office is the kind of place that runs the risk of becoming a “grey” space, devoid of life and colour. Of course, with workers spending huge portions of their day there, it should be a place full of energy that reflects the goals all of them are working towards. Working on the Miyajima Insurance Service office, Shinya Nomiyama outlined their process. The office site is situated on a hillside above the city, with astounding views laid out before it. When designing the initial concept, Space Orchestra considered what an insurance office “should” be. It is a service, one that serves and helps people. The design therefore relied heavily on the concept of connecting the office with the cityscape below it. This manifested with a tunnel-like design, and all elements of the building were crafted to augment this idea. It means that the customers who visit the office feel its transparency, and workers can oversee the city their customers live in. Shinya Nomiyama believes this approach sets his firm apart from competitors. Their foundational attitude is in the name, A Space Orchestra. He has said “Our work cannot be completed by ourselves. It is always accompanied with a client, constructor, craftsmen and women, environment, material, furniture and so many elements. We are challenging to organise those many elements and sublimate the design work, like a symphony.” The challenge is to bring together the many varied parts and use them to produce something beautiful. When asked about the future of the industry, Shinya Nomiyama thinks that the direction the economy is taking will be beneficial for all of those working in interior design. He said that as the population of Japan is decreasing, year by year, the economy is weakening, and the demand of new builds will also decrease. In the new generations, the value of owning a new construction is being replaced by value on taking a second-hand home and renovating it. Luckily, Shinya Nomiyama and his company will be there to help them find the beauty. Company: Space Orchestra Contact: Shinya Nomiyama Website: www.space-orchestra.jp