Sojitz REIT Advisors K.K. is an asset management company for NIPPON REIT Investment Corporation (NRT), a listed Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The new address for its relocation is a 36 year old building. The interiors, built to standard office specifications, had been designed in a uniform manner, and gave off an oppressive feel.

In conducting the design, we first tore down the construction to expose the basic architecture, and worked to maximize the appealing qualities that time had lent to the structure, as well as the expansive space hidden in the original finishings. Materials used in the new construction were selected for their compatibility with that texture and for their ample expressiveness. The space has become the embodiment of CANUCH’s knowhow in “maximizing a space’s inherent potential”.

For the layout, we created a spread out working space, which would stimulate communication, by positioning a collaboration area within the line of flow from the visitors’ zone to the office area, and enclosing it in glass, enabling it to be viewable from the work area. By embedding plants in the walls, the greenery can be felt even from the work areas. At the end of the zone is a Japanese-style room. A design which evokes the scenery of a tree-lined street, and a sunken “kotatsu” seating arrangement encourages a refreshing change of mood. The elevator hall’s stone walls and other elements signify the company’s policy of investment in a wide variety of properties large and small.

This relocation project was undertaken with the concept of creating an office that “draws out a charm not found in new buildings, through planning and functional design”. Sojitz Reit Advisors promotes improving the appeal and value even of the buildings it owns, as it is tied to expressing what the company can achieve.

Designed by Canuch Inc.
Photography by Photo: Hideki Mkiguchi, Canuch Inc.