31 Jan22344 Beautiful Spaces on a Small Scale Award-winning KOTOAKI ASANO Architect & Associates specialises in designing spatial artwork and furniture design masterpieces. Recognised as Most Innovative Architecture Practice, 2022 – Tokyo in this issue of LUXlife, we explore how the company has taken the Japanese architecture industry by storm. For architect, Kotoaki Asano, it’s about the little things in life. A oneman team, he designs stunning, modern houses to satisfy individual client requests, expressing his concepts and visuals clearly and simply. He has a fondness for creating beautiful spaces on a small scale. Big corporations control large building works in cities, especially in Japan, but Kotoaki strives to create small, sustainable projects with the desire to bring joy to others. In many of his architectural designs, the concept is primarily driven by the client’s specific requirements and the conditions of the site. Meanwhile, his artworks and some of the smaller buildings he designs represent his own subject matter. But in any case, Kotoaki wants to create a new territoriality that goes beyond the spatial concept of modernism architecture. Modernism architecture is a spatial language based on democracy, but it is also based on collective authority. Kotoaki said, “My aim is to create breath-taking, sustainable spaces that gently cover the skin of the earth. Most importantly, I want the spaces I design to have a poetic quality.” In his work, Kotoaki aims to bring his own authorship and message to the fore, while also demonstrating that it understands the clients’ unique requirements. The majority of Kotoaki’s work is residential, but he also works on semi-public projects, saying, “In the design of public buildings, I aim to creatively fill empty spaces, and this projects are more experimental because they are used by many people.” Kotoaki’s studio functions similarly to that of an artist; it is a space that breeds creativity and innovative new ideas whilst providing an effective hub for all communications with clients and partners. He collaborates with external experts to fulfil its projects, allowing a full range of creative expression and ensuring a multitude of new influences. Ideas are exchanged and, ultimately, enriched through this process. As a result, clients receive innovative designs that transgress the boundaries of contemporary architecture. Throughout the past two years, the construction industry has faced little impact, and has continued to run relatively smoothly. KOTOAKI ASANO has yet to see any interruption to its work and has consistently produced highquality results for its clients during the crisis. The company has adapted to the new world and has switched to undertaking video conferences with clients instead of conducting face-to-face communications, The COVID-19 situation has changed the way it communicates with its customers. But its design philosophy has not changed. Stepping into 2022, the company has plans to expand its projects, creating a wider range of innovative designs and properties. Furthermore, KOTOAKI ASANO hopes to make waves outside of Japan and is planning to bring some of its operations overseas. In Europe, for example, the company hopes to begin the development of artwork, small scale architecture, and street furniture. However, in its home country, it also has numerous ideas that it hopes to fulfil. Alongside its cutting-edge residential designs, KOTOAKI ASANO wants to delve into the world of public architecture. Company: KOTOAKI ASANO Architect & Associates Contact: Kotoaki Asano Email: [email protected] Website: www.kotoaki-asano.com
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