Share Office Hiruzen HITOTOKI
We designed one of KKAA’s satellite office locations in Hiruzen, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture.
A restaurant in the Daisen-Oki National Park was renovated and transformed into a wooden office and Hitotoki Museum, using an abundance of Maniwa-grown timber.
Okayama Prefecture produces the largest amount of cypress trees in Japan, and Maniwa City is one of the areas that focuses on forestry. The name “Share Office Hiruzen Hitotoki” was given to the facility with the meaning of connecting people (Hito) and trees (Ki).
By sandwiching the existing beams and pillars that traverse the spacious atrium between barked cypress boards from Maniwa, the office space was made to look as if it were in the trees of a forest.
In the counter seats around the windows, desk lights with shades made of Japanese paper mixed with materials unique to the area made by a Japanese paper craftsman in Maniwa City were installed. Through the windows, one can see the Hiruzen Plateau, the three Hiruzen mountains, and Daisen, creating a bright and open space.
A laser cutter and 3D printer were installed in anticipation of use by people from a variety of industries.
The goal is to create a building that would become a symbol of a new era of work styles, where people work while feeling nature in the midst of a natural environment.
A small museum was designed by the entrance that can be entered directly from the outside, where KKAA models and products are exhibited.
The “Hitotoki Museum” is an exchange space that connects the community, the satellite office, and the adjacent “GREENable HIRUZEN”.