Towards a new relationship between nature and society
Thinking about the future Landscape from the perspective of net zero water
[Part 1]

Mitsubishi Jisho Design​ ​is collaborating with Oumi on a master plan project in Southeast Asia.How​ ​didyour relationship with our company begin?

Around 2003, I USThe largest Urban Planning and Landscape ・ EDAW, a design organization in"Tokyo Midtown Design of "I was involved in. at that time,Mokichi Kuribayashi (Currently,Mitsubishi Jisho Design I met the Director of Urban Environmental Planning Department Yes, from now on,Coming to Japanevery time Information exchange Go toI've arrived.
2009, EDAW teeth AECOM (United States General engineering company) absorbed into,Number of employeesabout 30,000 5 thousand people Super large scale office NinaHowever, Stay close to the project I want to continueandFeeling, In 2013 independence, San Francisco Office maEstablishment I did. Currently, San Francisco and Tokyo (2019)~)of At two locations, I mainly work on Landscape.
Southeast AsiaIn this project, we proposed the overall Landscape and placemaking for the main public spaces in the early stages, and in schematic design stage we conducted design reviews of the local office's designs in collaboration with the master planner, Mitsubishi Jisho Design team.

Oumi, your title is not Landscape architect but creative director.

Landscape of Field teeth Quite diversified In the process, Landscape ・ The title of architect tree Not just"Unable to capture the area to be addressed"That's why. As an organizational leader, Limit your position Withoutto Wide Ku To grasp things, To maximize the role of the company and the role of LandscapetoThis is what he calls himself.
We place importance on seamlessly designing the entire space that people use, transcending the boundaries of specialized fields such as architecture and civil engineering. In collaboration with Mitsubishi Jisho Design, we are tasked with integrating the building, exterior, and people's flow lines, working to create a harmonious space as a whole.

What is the meaning behind the​"​ma"in office ma?

"between" The word, time ・ space Something like that perspective Not only Landscape What I Learned at Harvard Graduate School of Design ・ Urbanism approach In this respect, it is a phrase that truly captures the essence of Landscape.theessenceandteeth"Complexity surrounding the project and Organizing various elements hand Understand the big picture above And the relationship between them newTani Rebuild To do" "This,the Discover new value in the space and create ideal of Closer to the figure Rthing"and It is understood that each Relationships between elements That's it"between"I think soof is.
at the same time,Important Landscape ・ Architecture What is the position ofvarious Specialized field"between"To move withI felt that Company name We decided to do so.

Work do above in teeth,My Specialty but, Conversely, when viewed from the other person's point of view copperWhat can you see? Are you looking for, that is, "the fieldboundary"to consciousness is important.I have to do that. A holistic perspective from suggestion CanBecause there is no.Similarly, The terrain, the water flowing over it, and the air, wind, Flow of people etc.Uninterrupted element NidocormorantDo you set boundaries?,ordegreecormorantsplicingOr this The Essence of Landscape is.
However, In Japan teeth Landscape of "Landscaping" We are doing it.""garden"ThatKanjiteeththat Itself fenced arrive That I am.Originally, Removing frameworks and boundaries in The possibilities are wide It should be going on, The words themselves lock it away It's closedThat's why.

​This seems​ ​to be related to the title of creative director.

This does not mean that you can do anything just because you have​ ​this title, but it is important tobroaden your perspective and thinking to include things that may not​ ​at first glance seem related to Landscape when it comes to understanding the characteristics of a place.This is an effective step in building a design framework.

In the Southeast Asian project mentioned at the beginning, the framework that was builtaround 2020when you participatedis still in good condition.I think one of the characteristics of Oumi and his team is that they quickly organize the given conditions that form the basis of the project and establisha framework that does not waver.

Project BeginningMel edge teeth,Shape Design (What)I think it starts from Rather, First The meaning of the place and the elements to be addressed (Why) Search for: this Framework Construction Its positioning can be clarified. That's why, As it should be Shapebut Born Masu.
This is a long experience in Trained It is something. There is a lot of turnover of personnel China'sprojectSo, the Degree "I want to see a different design" Temisea bream "and And,"Essential location a How to" instead of"Shape Discussion"To PitfallsIt's true.theedge,Firm The framework If so, go back to that"Shape Change it."The argument that is usually Without Become.this is, Design Process of Management doWeaponAt the same time, The way it should be and the unique story it tells of raw DisturbOffice maThis is also an approach.

​If you do the initial storytelling well​,your​ ​client​ ​will be interested.You will share a common vision,​ ​clarify the direction ofyour team, andbuild trust.

​Isn't there a movement​ ​to embraceforms that don't fit into the framework?

The framework itself does not necessarily limit the form. Although it differs from project to project, a rigid framework that is too inflexible will not work.Sometimes an ideological framework can become a framework. In projects​ ​characterized by the complexity of the terrain, this maybe​ ​an important factor of the framework.If there is no funding, thinking aboutthe mechanism of money circulation may be the basis of the framework.
After all, the design process is not actually very​ ​linear​ ​and​ ​often involves back and forth, so it's important that your framework is flexible enough to support​ ​this process.

As you work on many global projects,how do you incorporate local conditions such as the country's characteristics, climate, and vegetation into your designs?

"Working with the local people" is important, but at the same time, the value we can provide is "looking at a place from an outside perspective." We cannot become experts on the local land or region where a project is taking place, but I think our forte is looking at a place from the outside, that is, skillfully connecting the local and the global. On the other hand, in the place where we live, we may know too much, or our preconceptions and perspectives may be too fixed, which may prevent us from moving forward very smoothly (laughs).

At the start of a project, I talk to as many people as possible and listen to things that aren't directly related to Landscape. Getting ideas to think is an important process for broadening your perspective. Nowadays, there is a lot of information available through various means, but the most important thing is to be able to distinguish between them. Rather than digging deep into one area, I try to spread my reach out to various sources first, and then quickly identify and connect information that seems promising.

Landscape changes with the seasons, and grows or shrinks over time, so it's not something that ends once it's completed.

The project"In the FOREST" (2015)in the rapidly growing city of Changsha, China, is a 7ha complex consisting of residential, commercial and office space. There were several similar projects underway within a 5km radius of the site. In this situation, the new facility has the highest value, so if you're unlucky, a new facility will be built next door about 3 months after opening. We proposed to the client that we want to create something that will "get better and stronger as time passes since opening," so that the site itself will not be consumed. The plan is to create a large green space in the middle of the development, which will gradually turn into a forest.
Various types of housing were already planned. There were family-type homes, high-rise towers for the wealthy, and low-rise and mid-riseSOHO-style residential offices, but at that time in China, it was rare to see a mix of diverse housing in a single project. Since economic disparities would arise between the buildings, the forest in the center acts as a buffer to allow them to coexist. We thought that having diverse people living there would make the place better. We planned a place that would grow over time, taking into consideration the "flow of people's lives," such as children who grow up in a family-type building starting their own business and moving to a SOHO, becoming successful and moving to a high-rise building.

What techniques have you found to resonate with your clients?

As early as possible in the project from Involved It will be Many things have been decided. Then Enter "We Otherwise Why not? but What you can't find a EarlyFrom Collaboration in Trust and collaboration To be nurtured I think so.
where important Nanoha,Mutually Without preconceptions, Diverse It is important to have a perspective and broaden your horizons. Us too What I experienced but do not have Sometimes, The project in Challenge More things you can do be So, I think of is.In these discussions,Each other Persuasion Even without fighting"We have been working together"With this common goal in mind, The project moves forward.
past,veryIn a good way Became certain project teeth, "work Will it be teeth I don't know But there are some issuestogether Do a workshop."and From the storyStartwas. In Japan, it is quite difficult No workIt's how it begins. Japanese businesses should think for themselves first. hand, Unless it hardens to some extent People from outside the company Don't get involved. twist Being open and flexible can help Various Opening up possibilities There will be.This and that After it was decided"So what about the exterior? ……” I often get asked, But it's different. There are times when I think there should be a way to relate to them. ITaEven in our current problemsYes there is.

We have talked about building frameworks and forming team mindsets, but we would like to hear some tips for Japanese organizational design firms to aim to create organizations that can thrive overseas.So that's the end of the first half of the interview.I think so.

While working with Mitsubishi Jisho Design, I noticed that there are many people with various passions and a diverse character. It may be a characteristic of Japanese people and Japanese companies that individuality is not easily seen when working in an organization. It is unfortunate when individuality is not conveyed well to the client or is not utilized in the project when it becomes a large team.
In overseas design firms, partner-level people have a lot of individuality and seem to be good at winning over clients. I think this aspect can be seen in Japan as well, but I feel that in Japan, teamwork tends to be more prominent. So, if we could see more individuality in this teamwork itself, we might see a "strength as an organization" that is different from overseas.
In some countries, clients may look for charismatic leadership from design firms, but that's not always the right answer. I feel that in China and Korea, there is a strong pull from "who is in charge," but in the Philippines and Thailand, clients themselves speak up and debate as team members. It seems like Japanese design firms like Mitsubishi Jisho Design are a good fit for these cultural spheres. This is a view based on my own experience(laughs).

This is an important hint for building an organizationforour company's future overseasexpansion. Thank you very much.