Right down to Earth Apply, How Some Japanese Architects Have Taken their Workplaces to the Streets

As the discourse about the way we work continues past the original pandemic concern and past the hybrid, remote, or what was once called traditional office space; employers and employees alike are still revisiting mental comfort requirements of a post-pandemic worker. While there are many types of work environments and worker needs that have to be addressed separately (besides the white-collar or knowledge worker), from a design and policies front; one particular, newborn model has been popping up in recent years, thus far seen through some unique, smallscale yet norm challenging Japanese offices. 

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These offices boast a few similar traits, that are quite unconventional. For one they initially appear as small retail spaces, open and inviting. Their facades are modular and wide as if offering a view into the inner process of spatial creation. As opposed to the conventional setup, these spaces embrace the street with the hustle and bustle of the city. 

It isn’t too surprising that most of these unorthodox offices are in fact used by the Architecture practices that designed them. The user/designers have mentioned this conscious choice as a way of reconnecting with the environment they aim to shape. How can one build a city if they’re not familiar with its inner fabric?

BASE Office / UtA / Unemori teco Associates

MARU。architecture Uenosakuragi Office / MARU。architecture

YAP Office / YAP

R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE / R/URBAN DESIGN OFFICE

S House Renovation / Yasuhiro Sawa Design Office

Note: Find more reference projects in this My ArchDaily folder created by the author.