Architecture Awards 2020

94 2020 Architecture Awards BUILD Jul20658 Best Spatial Design Company 2020 – Japan & Best Wedding Chapel Design Project (Japan): St. Voile Chapel ince inception, Kasahara Design Work have been designing commercial spaces, such as shops, restaurants, wedding facilities and also hotels. When the studio’s founder, Eriko Kasahara, established the business, one thing that she strongly believed, and still does to this day, is that design has the power to make people happy. Keeping this belief at the forefront of the design process, Eriko ensures at the beginning that she truly understands the clients’ requirements as this, she believes, is an important part of the project. The process is not simply designing a space that is based upon a shared understanding of the clients’ business goals. It is about creating value reconfiguring the program, or using the space in a way that goes far beyond conventional concepts. This is what Eriko believes will help to lead the business to success. For example, one of Kasahara Design Work’s latest projects includes the renovation of a hotel. The role of commercial facilities has become very complex, and the hotel needed to be more than just a place to stay. It needed to provide a space where interaction can take place and new things can be created. Whether it was a salon for locals, a private room for families, a gallery space or even a seminar room. One of the biggest challenges of the project was creating a program that would produce synergy. Through trial and error, Kasahara Design Work were able to offer a value proposition for interacting whilst still being a hotel. This achievement is something Eriko is incredibly proud of, which she righteously deserves to be. Throughout her remarkable career, Eriko has been not only designing spaces for people to come together in, but also creating a lively atmosphere within the city. Bringing people together generates power and creates a new kind of liveliness. One area in which Kasahara Design Work thrives in, is designing wedding venues. The studio’s strength is in its expertise about wedding facility design, which Eriko has been designing for more than an impressive two decades. This invaluable experience has provided the studio with wealth of insight into area, and has allowed for new suggestions in how to improve it. S However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social gatherings have come to an end, and the old values have been reversed. In Japan currently, new projects in the service space have been put on pause. Despite the uncertainty the pandemic has caused, it has not slowed down Eriko and her plans for Kasahara Design Work going forward. Looking ahead to what the future holds for the studio, Kasahara Design Work is currently planning a new type of wedding facility and also a funeral business complex, which they will be working on over the course of the next two years. Ultimately, BUILD’s Best Spatial Design Company 2020 – Japan is not letting anything stand in their way of creating striking spaces, such as their incredible St. Voile Chapel, and we are excited to see what else this innovative studio produces in the years to come. Company: Kasahara Design Work Co. Ltd Name: Eriko Kasahara Web Address: www.Kasahara-design.com Design can help to change people and society by looking at it from various perspectives. It is also practical, beautiful and innovative. When these elements are combined, it can have a positive impact on a person’s life. It is this belief that is the main mission Kasahara Design Work Co. Ltd is trying to achieve. Following their double win in the Architecture Awards 2020, we profiled Kasahara Design Work to find out more about how they effortlessly craft such innovative designs which exceed the expectations of their clients.