2019.12.11
R&D DISCUSSION Vol. 25
Looking at the future design process through "Renovation" [Part 2]
Masataka Baba Architect
Q: What are some of your recent projects?
A: In recent years, I have been interested in "management." For example, in 2016, we worked with Mitsubishi Estate Residence on the "Re Building Renovation" (planning: Mitsubishi Estate Residence, leasing: Tokyo R Real Estate, design: Open A), a renovation of existing stock. We Renovation a seven-story former bridal goods showroom and warehouse in Bakuro-cho, Nihonbashi, Chuo Ward, into the office building "Under Construction" (2017) [Photo 1]. The top floor is a shared office, and Open A moved into this shared office and is also running it.
The theme of this shared office is "working in a park with a roof." It is an experimental office space in a sense, with the idea that new ideas can only be born in an office space that is completely different from conventional ones. For example, in the huge shared kitchen near the entrance to the shared office, trivial conversations while brewing coffee or washing dishes in the two side-by-side sinks have overwhelmingly improved interpersonal relationships within the company. It made me realize that small opportunities can improve relationships all at once. In addition, the office is also implementing a project to utilize waste materials as furniture. For example, unused traffic lights are being used as lights, and solar panels are being used as tables. The space itself is giving birth to new projects like these, and it is becoming a symbolic space for the Rebuilding project.
And for this property, we asked them to let us not only set up the space and manage the shared office area, but also manage the entire building creatively. For example, we are trying to experimentally create opportunities to generate communication by holding regular dinner parties for the entire building, across the boundaries of each tenant. The current management in Japan is "protective management". We think that by repeating such experiments, the concept of building management may change. The value of an office building can increase dramatically just through creative design and management. While working on the Rebuilding business, I think that Japan needs a new office platform. The offices of Dropbox and Pinterest in the United States are almost like playgrounds. It's a little frustrating that the United States has gotten ahead of us again (laughs), but I think this is the next challenge for Japan.
Q: What new challenges are you planning to take on in the future?
A: What I'm focusing on right now is Renovation and management of public spaces. About five years ago, I thought, "This is the next thing!" and wrote a book called "RePUBLIC/ Renovation of Public Spaces" (Gakugei Publishing, 2013). I wanted to change the public spaces in Japan, where everything is prohibited and you can only stand there. I also felt that there was a business opportunity there.
Reビル事業ではビルの運営をさせてもらっていますが、2016年にリニューアルオープンした豊島区の「南池袋公園」［写真2］で、初めて公共空間の運営マネジメントを担当しています。2017年に青木純さんたちとPPPエージェント「nest」を立ち上げ、豊島区が企画するまちの魅力向上や賑わいの創出を目指す「グリーン大通りなどにおける賑わい創出プロジェクト」の実施者として選定されました。それ以来、マルシェやアウトドアシネマなど、さまざまな企画を実施しています。公共空間の運営をしていく中で、例えばこの南池袋公園を訪れた親子の楽しそうな写真がフェイスブックに上がるようになると、南池袋公園がメディア化し、それが拡張されてエリアブランディングに発展していくんです。2014年には東京23区で唯一の消滅可能都市とまで言われた豊島区（注1）ですが、2017年以降「借りて住みたい街ランキング」で池袋が3年連続1位を取っています（注2）。このように、公共空間が変わるだけで都市全体の価値がガラリと変わります。1枚の写真が、この都市全体の価値を上げる力を持っているということです。
One of the events planned and managed by nest is the "IKEBUKURO LIVING LOOP." It is a project that has been carrying out a series of social experiments, with the vision of creating a happy streetscape like this 365 days a year, by lining the streets with hammocks, sofas, and tables, and holding markets and workshops.
Recently, I have a hunch that "social experiments" may hold the key to improving cities as a whole. For example, when planning the reconstruction of the main building of Sendai City Hall in Miyagi Prefecture, there was talk of doing something with the unused park in front of the building, and we designed a temporary cafe, "LIVE+RALLY PARK." (2018) [Photo 3], for temporary use. This experiment was a success, which later led to the cafe becoming a permanent establishment, and is also influencing the planning of the reconstruction plan currently underway. I believe that "temporary buildings" and "social experiments" will be very important factors in creating cities in the future.
- (Note 1) Announced by the Subcommittee on Population Decline Issues of the Japan Policy Council on May 8, 2014
- (Note 2) Ikebukuro ranked first for the third consecutive year in the 2019 LIFULL HOME'S Metropolitan Area Ranking of Places to Live
Q: So the process goes in a cycle: design, use, think, design again, use...
A: In 2015, I created Public Real Estate, a media site to connect public buildings with the private sector and citizens who will use them. One day, the Children's Nature House in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, asked me to feature it on the site. The facility was to be closed due to aging, and I was interested in hearing about its future use, so I went to see it. The facility itself was a typical children's nature house, but the location was really great, and it had a park surrounded by very rich nature. I thought it would be interesting to Renovation it and turn it into a lodging facility, so I applied for a public proposal for its use, and it was selected. I designed and now manage the "Stay at the Park Inn" (2017) [Photo 4]. Before I knew it, I had become the owner of the lodging facility. The concept is "stay at the park," and thankfully it became a topic of discussion in the media, and now it seems that the value of Numazu City has increased considerably. I pay a fee for the land to Numazu City, so for Numazu City, it was not only able to earn income from the facility, which had previously been in the red, but it also increased the value of the town.
In the 20th century, the process of creating spaces and things was "plan → create → use," with the planner taking the lead in the project. However, in the 21st century, it seems that projects are moving in the opposite direction, with the user coming up with ideas and giving them back to society experimentally, which then develops into a plan [Slide 1]. I call this the transformation from "planned" architecture and cities to "crafted" architecture and cities. The user taking the lead means that we designers must be on both the "planning" and "use" sides. As the boundaries between various positions become increasingly blurred, many people are wondering where the architect should stand, but I think it all comes down to how you can become a "stakeholder in the space."
The building of the former Numazu City Youth Nature Center was renovated while preserving its existing charm, and the park was equipped with new features that blend in with the building.
[Photos 1 and 4, Slide 1: Provided by Open A]
PROFILE
architect
CEO of Open A Co., Ltd., Director of R Tokyo Real Estate, Professor at Tohoku University of Art and Design
Masataka Baba
Baba Masataka
Born in Saga in 1968. Graduated from the Master's program in Architecture at Waseda University Graduate School (Ishiyama Osamu Laboratory) in 1994. After working at Hakuhodo, a doctoral program at Waseda University, and as editor-in-chief of the magazine "A," he founded Open A in 2003. He runs Tokyo R Real Estate, a website that discovers vacant spaces in the city. He also serves as director of CET (Central East Tokyo), an event that turns vacant buildings in Nihonbashi and Kanda on Tokyo's east side into temporary galleries, and is active across media and real estate while keeping Architectural Design at the core.
OTHER DISCUSSIONS
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.56
Mind change――
Aiming for a company that will develop into the future [Part 2]
Hidehito Kawahara, President and CEO of ALFA PMC
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.55
Mind change――
Aiming for a company that will develop into the future [Part 2]
Hidehito Kawahara, President and CEO of ALFA PMC
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.54
Mind change――
Aiming to become a company that will develop into the future [Part 1]
Hidehito Kawahara, President and CEO of ALFA PMC
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.53
Next-generation transportation and future urban planning [Part 2]
Professor Akinori Morimoto, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University; President, City Planning Institute of Japan
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.52
Next-generation transportation and future urban planning [Part 2]
Professor Akinori Morimoto, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University; President, City Planning Institute of Japan
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.51
Next-generation transportation and future urban planning [Part 1]
Professor Akinori Morimoto, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University; President, City Planning Institute of Japan
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.50
The world is full of possibilities
--Perceive playfully and take action! [Part 2]
Nobuyuki Ueda Professor Emeritus of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Director of Neo Museum
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.49
The world is full of possibilities
--Perceive playfully and take action! [Part 2]
Nobuyuki Ueda Professor Emeritus of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Director of Neo Museum
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.48
The world is full of possibilities
--Perceive playfully and take action! [Part 1]
Nobuyuki Ueda Professor Emeritus of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Director of Neo Museum
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.47
Light is Life: Humans on the Solar Earth [Part 2]
Hiroyasu Shouji ShojiLighting Designer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.46
Light is Life: Humans on the Solar Earth [Part 1]
Hiroyasu Shouji ShojiLighting Designer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol45
Building fire-resistant wooden buildings [Part 2]
Noboru Yasui, Architect and Chairman of NPO team Timberize
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.44
Building fire-resistant wooden buildings [Part 1]
Noboru Yasui, Architect and Chairman of NPO team Timberize
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.43
What is a sign? What is sign design?
What? [Part 2]
Toshiaki Yashima Information Designer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.42
What is a sign? What is sign design?
What? [Part 2]
Toshiaki Yashima Information Designer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.41
What is a sign? What is sign design?
What? [Part 1]
Toshiaki Yashima Information Designer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.40
Data-driven urban development that makes people happy [Part 2]
Taro Hitokoto Director of Neural Pocket Co., Ltd.
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.39
Data-driven urban development that makes people happy [Part 1]
Taro Hitokoto Director of Neural Pocket Co., Ltd.
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.38
Japan's Strategy for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050 [Part 2]
Takuzo Saito Director of the Evaluation and Assessment Department, Housing and Construction Center, Better Living Foundation
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.37
Japan's strategy for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 [Part 1]
Takuzo Saito Director of the Evaluation and Assessment Department, Housing and Construction Center, Better Living Foundation
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.36
The "extra" required for architecture revealed through regional projects [Part 2]
Yasushi Takeuchi Professor, Tohoku Institute of Technology (-2021), President and CEO, Abisei Planning Co., Ltd. (2022-)
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.35
The "extra" required for architecture revealed through regional projects [Part 1]
Yasushi Takeuchi, Professor, Tohoku Institute of Technology (-2021), President and CEO, Abisei Planning Co., Ltd.
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.34
Before-Before Architecture Theory
Design techniques that unravel history [Part 2]
Toru Ajisaka, Professor, Kagoshima University
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.33
Before-Before Architecture Theory
Design techniques that unravel history [Part 1]
Toru Ajisaka, Professor, Kagoshima University
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.32
How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
Turning aquariums into "media" through a customer-centric approach
Gen Nakamura Aquarium Producer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.31
How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
Sunshine Aquarium "Oasis in the Sky" [Part 2]
Gen Nakamura Aquarium Producer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.30
How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
Sunshine Aquarium "Oasis in the Sky" [Part 1]
Gen Nakamura Aquarium Producer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.29
Wellness and Performance Management
How to Live in a New Era Vol.2 [Part 2]
Takayuki Hirai
Deputy Director of the CHO Office at DeNA Co., Ltd.; Representative of Ibuki LLC
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.28
Wellness and Performance Management
How to Live in a New Era vol.2 [Part 1]
Takayuki Hirai
Deputy Director of the CHO Office at DeNA Co., Ltd.; Representative of Ibuki LLC
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.27
A work style that brings about innovation
How to Live in a New Era Vol.1 [Part 2]
Takahiro Sakamoto
Representative of SSIN LLC, Advisor of KOKUYO Co., Ltd.'s Work Style Reform Project
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.26
A work style that brings about innovation
How to Live in a New Era Vol.1 [Part 1]
Takahiro Sakamoto
Representative of SSIN LLC, Advisor of KOKUYO Co., Ltd.'s Work Style Reform Project
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.25
Looking at the future design process through "Renovation" [Part 2]
Masataka Baba Architect
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.24
Looking at the future design process through "Renovation" [Part 2]
Masataka Baba Architect
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.23
Looking at the future design process through "Renovation" [Part 1]
Masataka Baba Architect
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.22
Architecture in Film: Special Effects TV and Comedy Films of the 1960s [Part 2]
Tatsuo Iso IsoArchitectural Journalist
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.21
Architecture in Film: Special Effects TV and Comedy Films of the 1960s [Part 1]
Tatsuo Iso IsoArchitectural Journalist
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.20
Pioneering the future with the power of design
Discovering Young Artists [Part 2]
Toshiki Kiriyama Director
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.19
Pioneering the future with the power of design
Discovering Young Artists [Part 2]
Toshiki Kiriyama Director
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.18
Pioneering the future with the power of design
Discovering Young Artists [Part 1]
Toshiki Kiriyama Director
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.17
The present and future of theater space
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.3 [Part 2]
Masaji Ito + Kenji Maruyama Theater Workshop Co., Ltd.
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.16
The present and future of theater space
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.3 [Part 1]
Masaji Ito + Kenji Maruyama Theater Workshop Co., Ltd.
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.15
How to create public spaces with 100% occupancy rate
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.2 [Part 2]
Yuko Yamashita Yamashita, Network creator, Hiroba-nist
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.14
How to create public spaces with 100% occupancy rate
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.2 [Part 1]
Yuko Yamashita Yamashita, Network creator, Hiroba-nist
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.13
Designing "social fluctuations"
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.1 [Part 2]
Shoji Okabe
Evangelist at Snow Peak Business Solutions Co., Ltd., and co-representative of the nonprofit organization "Hama no Toudai"
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.12
Designing "social fluctuations"
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.1 [Part 1]
Shoji Okabe
Evangelist at Snow Peak Business Solutions Co., Ltd., and co-representative of the nonprofit organization "Hama no Toudai"
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.11
A workplace that fosters innovation
Changing the environment changes the way you work [Part 2]
Tetsuo Kobori Architect
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.10
A workplace that fosters innovation
If the environment changes, the way you work will change [Part 2]
Tetsuo Kobori Architect
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.09
A workplace that fosters innovation
Changing the environment changes the way you work [Part 1]
Tetsuo Kobori Architect
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.08
Environmentally friendly architecture and healthy spaces drive the economy
ESG Investment and Wellness Offices [Part 2]
Shinichi Tanabe Professor, Department of Architecture, School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.07
Environmentally friendly architecture and healthy spaces drive the economy
ESG Investment and Wellness Offices [Part 1]
Shinichi Tanabe Professor, Department of Architecture, School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.06
The centripetal force of a single sketch that depicts a scene from the future [Part 2]
Tetsuo Fukuda Industrial Designer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.05
The centripetal force of a single sketch that depicts a scene from the future [Part 1]
Tetsuo Fukuda Industrial Designer
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.04
Thinking about future redevelopment from postwar "buildings" [Part 2]
Shunsuke Kurakata historian
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.03
Thinking about future redevelopment from postwar "buildings" [Part 1]
Shunsuke Kurakata historian
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.02
Architecture: Perspectives from Industrial Design [Part 2]
Kozo Yamada, Director and Advisor, GK Design Corporation
R&D DISCUSSION Vol.01
Architecture: Perspectives from Industrial Design [Part 1]
Kozo Yamada, Director and Advisor, GK Design Corporation
Update : 2018.09.21
RELATED
INSIGHTS
-
R&D DISCUSSION
2024.06.19
Mind change――
Aiming for a company that will develop into the future [Part 2] -
R&D DISCUSSION
2024.06.19
Mind change――
Aiming for a company that will develop into the future [Part 2] -
R&D DISCUSSION
2024.06.19
Mind change――
Aiming to become a company that will develop into the future [Part 1] -
R&D DISCUSSION
2024.05.13
Next-generation transportation and future urban planning [Part 2]
-
R&D DISCUSSION
2024.05.13
Next-generation transportation and future urban planning [Part 2]
-
R&D DISCUSSION
2024.05.13
Next-generation transportation and future urban planning [Part 1]
-
R&D DISCUSSION
2023.07.13
The world is full of possibilities
--Perceive playfully and take action! [Part 2] -
R&D DISCUSSION
2023.07.13
The world is full of possibilities
--Perceive playfully and take action! [Part 2] -
R&D DISCUSSION
2023.07.13
The world is full of possibilities
--Perceive playfully and take action! [Part 1] -
R&D WORKS
2023.05.23
JAPAN SPORT OLYMPIC SQUARE ──Manual natural ventilation system
