Corporate Message

Invigorating Society

The creation of new architecture gives people feelings of aspiration and courage. The process of constructing a building excites people and makes them look to the future. Is it because the building is beautiful ? That’s part of it, but we think it’s more that good architecture addresses issues that society is facing. Throughout history, architecture has played a central role in the cycle of people building societies and societies in turn nurturing people. At its best, architecture gives people goals, reassures them, and points the way to fairness. That mission is not going to change. Architecture encourages people and cities.

For the Future of Cities

Cities start out with clear forms. Their location, size, zoning and mobility systems are set. But then they take on a life of their own and evolve in unexpected ways. This change, driven by the population, is ultimately what makes a city so interesting. How can we ensure cities remain filled with diversity and maintain flexible systems ? What can we do to make the city a stage where every individual can shine ?

Creating New Value

The qualities society demands of architecture change with the times. The value of a building also changes, sometimes greatly. And there is sometimes value that has yet to be seen. We must work to attain a holistic understanding of value, both emotional and economic. We want to always be sensitive to the changing times and to what surrounds buildings and makes them work.

Continuous Learning

However old people get, they continue to have new experiences, make new connections, and absorb new knowledge and wisdom, because learning is intrinsic to living well. It is also important to teach, because active sharing of intelligence and understanding is what enables society to progress. The world works because we learn from and guide others. Humans have always devoted time and energy to building places that facilitate these processes. Making venues for learning is the starting point of architecture.

Doing a Job with Responsibility

We have great respect for leading experts in their fields. They command our admiration because they are constantly honing their outstanding skills and cutting through difficulties. In addition to their own efforts, they achieve results through collaboration with other experts. In short, the best people find creative ideas within a challenging situation. That is how they have fulfilled their social responsibilities. Their personal qualities have made them necessary to society, and their work has endured. Taking responsibility in our work is essential to building a strong future.

Design is Intelligence Made Visible*

Good design is born from good process. It is not possible to create a good design process without setting suitable goals. Superior design emerges against the backdrop of unique circumstances. It contains intellectual struggle and the yearning for beauty, and it offers inspiration to address challenges in other areas. If the solution is clear and beautiful, things that appear special and unusual at first glance come to take on a universal character. Truly, design is intelligence made visible.

*a quote from British designer Frank Pick

Pondering the Future of the World

Communities are finite, and so is the Earth. Coming to terms with diverse elements enables us to carry on living. We are entering an age when that will become increasingly hard to manage. What should we do to prepare for the future ? There is responsibility to the environment, and the responsibility to maintain interpersonal relationships. Experts must address these responsibilities, either through their own fields or by going beyond them. Today’s situation calls on us to sharpen our awareness and capabilities.

Facing History and Learning from Communities

Architecture creates a new environment, but is itself born of a certain environment. What information can we glean from the situations we find ourselves in day-to-day ? What ingenuity is latent within them ? We must learn many lessons from history, and assemble a vision for a new age from the challenges that communities have faced. But let us refrain from just rehashing the past. We want the environment of the next age to be better by drawing on the wisdom of living.