NIPPON KAIJI KENTEI KYOKAI HEADQUARTERS | Tokyo, Japan | 2018
Architects: Takenaka Corporation
Client: Nippon Kaiji Kentei Kyokai, Incorporated Association
General Contractor: Takenaka Corporation
Photographers: Noboru Inoue
Single-room offices that are integrated with environment and people in densely populated city.
It is a small head office building in a dense area of medium-sized offices located in the central area of Tokyo.
In this area, the homogeneous volumes based on the economic rationality and the Homogeneous façades to enjoy the limited views and daylight face the main street densely.
Also behind them, there are densely various buildings with smaller residential scales along small blocks.
The architects constructed relationships among 'environment, people, architecture' fitted to densely populated urban area in a small head office building.
This office is different from large scale universal office spaces in urban area and studios that are renovated as existing stocks.
On the small site with 11m in frontage and 25m in depth between the main street and the back street, we connected inside and outside of the building and carved appropriate activities for each place.
To properly depict the status of a headquarters building located on Yaesu Street in central Tokyo, a full wide view with an aperture of nine meters facing Yaesu Street was secured.
The common areas are smoothly connected to the regularly shaped offices to achieve a workplace in which people can easily communicate with one another.
The deeply-chiseled exterior that stands out from the surrounding area reduces the sunlight load. In addition, light shelves are provided to enable the use of natural lighting, and windows that can be opened and closed are used to ensure natural ventilation.
These “passive control” energy-saving features succeed in improving both BCP performance and environmental performance.
The overall building and the sections that change in response to activities
The south side exterior has precast concrete louvers comprising a single span of 10 meters supported only at the ends, achieved through pre-stressing.
The precast concrete has a built-in secondary drainage function.
The sashless glass that is supported on two sides has a size and shape that are economically rational.
The basic modular louvers can be transformed into counters, desks and work stands of the ideal height and shape to match the activities of the occupants in the interior.
Simulations were conducted to design louvers that are enable to block more than 90% of the sunlight from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m. year-round.
The louvers are also extended into the interior and can function as benches and light shelves.
This response to people’s activities changes gradually from urban scale blocks on the front (south) side to residential and miscellaneous scale blocks on the back (north) side extends to the bookshelves and apertures on the east and west sides, the kitchenette corner on the north side and the ceiling system as well.
The result is a soft, spacious interior area that is integrated with the gleaming white abstract appearance and the facade that depicts the activity in the interior.