60 BUILD Design and Build 2020 Nov19102 25 Q1 2020 BUILD Nov19102 or Takeshi Hamada, the job of an architect is to create a space. This doesn’t mean just making a box but identifying the elements that will active in that space, be it people, personal items or nature, and drawing them all together into something new. Throughout his career, Hamada has drawn a great deal of meaning from combining good practice with day-to-day needs of his clients, through good communication and a strong academic background. Graduating from Hosei University in 1998 and the Kyoto Institute of Technology in 2003, allowed Hamada to develop the academic basis for his craft that would lead into the next stages of his career. Developing his craft at the Compass architecture studio, it wasn’t long before Hamada moved to the Iwata Design Surveying Office, which would become the home of his incredibly successful business. Soon to be rebranded Hamada Design, home to a twenty-strong workforce of architects, surveyors and engineers, Hamada has taken the company from strength to strength, thanks in no small part to his innovative and personal approach to design. Working on projects from houses to offices to town lots, Hamada has a great deal of experience in working to different scales. All these projects are based on Hamada’s principles for ensuring that the spaces made not only match the desires of the client but fulfil good design etiquette. Taking the essence of a design request, Hamada sees his job as taking the next half step in order to betray his client’s expectations while keeping the core of their idea. Taking the time to share communication, and build a trust within this communication, is crucial. The relationship between client and architect is paramount to Hamada, and he spends a lot of time building this to the best level he can during a project. An example of Hamada’s excellent work can be seen in his building project “House K”. Working to his principles of different priorities for different buildings, the ability to create a brightly lit, well ventilated space was critical to his ambitions for this house. The innovative use of a light well creates this beautifully, with each room facing it. This allows the outside to pervade through all three floors, illuminating the stark white walls of the construction. Another advantage of the light well is that it has the effect of opening the building, making a space that could be anything but claustrophobic. Set alongside other buildings of more traditional design, this design stands out in every respect. Creating Sincere Spaces Finding the perfect house is never an easy task, and sometimes it’s more straightforward just to start from scratch. Designing buildings alongside clients, with the intention of creating a space that is genuine in intent and execution, Takeshi Hamada has built a reputation of creating truly astonishing architecture in a variety of spaces. We took a closer look at this talented artist to discover the secrets of his success. F A similar triumph has been the redevelopment of the Nakanishi Metal Works, in Japan’s industrial hub of Osaka. The company wanted to create a space where its 3500 employees could meet and share ideas, as opposed to remaining siloed and separate. They also had a 100-year old disused warehouse. Hamada was asked to create a space in that warehouse that had the feel of a community park. A very different proposition to House K, what would evolve into Cross Park has been a veritable success. Consisting of multiple spaces designed to function as miniature eco-systems, paths extend throughout, tying the disparate areas together where employees meet, present or work independently. Showing his considerable versatility, Hamada has breathed new life into a century-old building, bringing it categorically into 2020. What makes Takeshi Hamada one to watch is his versatility, his skill and his personal approach to the design and development of buildings and spaces. Not content with creating the entirely practical or the totally aesthetic, Hamada has perfectly the adaptation of his abilities to suit different projects with ease. It is this success that has led to his invitation back to lecture parttime at his alma mater, Kyoto Institute of Technology, inspiring the next generation of architects. As the head of an immensely successful firm, continually in high demand, it seems that Hamada has made an impact on the market that will be felt for years to come. Contact: Takeshi Hamada Company: Hamada Design Web Address: www.hamada-design.com Telephone: +81-72-7935
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