[Japan] Nendo

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The Design Unit nendo comprises seven members: Oki Sato, who has a master’s degree from the Waseda University School of Architecture, Takayuki Ishikawa, Akihiro Ito, Takahiro Matsumura, Koichiro Oniki, Teruaki Okada, and Yoshitaka Ito. The unit has won numerous awards, among them the gold medal in the 15th Koizumi International Lighting Design Competition for Students, the Tokyo Designers Block 2002 FRAME Award, GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2004 and ELLE DECO International Design Award 2004.

When people ask about nendo, we say we're a unit that creates things that are free, flexible, and diverse. We adopt an open stance, taking on anything possible, and although our staff is small, we assign distinct roles in architectural design, production of computer graphics and mock-ups, management, and advertising. By doing that, we've created an environment that allows diverse client needs to be met flexibly.

Designer Oki Sato and the other designers carry out various activities in architecture, product and corporate identity design. What all of the designs have in common are vividness and substance. Elements such as pleasure and beauty, which come under "vividness," stimulate the right brain, while "substance" elements such as cost, performance and story stimulate the left brain. Without both, the "nendo" name doesn't go on it.

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purpose　 private house
location 　　 Mejiro, Toshima-ku Tokyo
main structure　 Reinforced Concrete
outer finish Japan Cedar
size of one floor　63.79ｍ
total size　　 162.51ｍ

By condensing the residential functions to one side,
the plan changes its shape by moving in and out
as if it were a drawer.
A simple mechanism, but this adaptive, and flexible space is very effective in the limited housing situation in Tokyo.

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Principal use　　library and residential hous
Location 　　 shikinejima-island, nijimamura tokyo
Main structure　　 wood
Building area　　 　 69.40m2
Total floor area　　 69.40m2


A residential housing and a library. Book shelves are located outside of the external wall of housing, allowing an easy-access to the books from the outside, as well as maintaining the privacy of the residential area.
By using a semi-transparent FRP as a partition between the library and private area, slits of natural light from the spacing of books enter during the daytime, and the light exits from the inside during nighttime. The light creates a sense of connection between the inside and outside.

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main use : French restaurant
location : Tokyo
floor are : 22.42m2

A restaurant made from a sheet of canvas
To change an old house into
a restaurant was not an easy task, given a very small budget.
After deciding to use a 200 meter sheet of canvas
---which was very reasonable, nendo wrapped the entire house, inside and outside, table-clothes and hair-coverings.
Small remaining pieces were used for cards and matchboxes as well.
This was done for cost-control and also to maintain a total image.

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main use : charcoal grill restaurant
location : Tokyo
floor are : 55.0m2

Just as the smoke of charcoal makes every dish delicious,
900,000 straws piled-up create a 'smokey' atmosphere.

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Principal use　karaoke-room
Location 　　　omotesamdo, tokyo
Floor area　　 31.97m2

A karaoke room, with a concept, derived from a bathroom. A bathroom is a place, where people are able to sing comfortably with a spice of echo. By opening a bathroom-like entrance door and walk into the room, a large bathtub-like sofa can be found slightly under the floor level. Floor tiles and showerhead-shaped coat hangers exist as one of the functions of the room also giving a bathroom-like feeling.

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Thinking about function and form by sinking them.
Furniture sinking on the container floor. A chair with one sinking leg, and a sofa sinking
backwards for example. It may lose its original use, but we can always find a different way.
Maybe we can give you a little hint about the relation between function and form.

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Location：Tokyo
Date：2004.Oct.7（Thu）~Oct.11（Mon）

A bar counter design for Tokyo Designers Block2004 using larch material which was offered by
Nagano Prefecture. This bar counter, where various people such as bar staff and customers gather,
was designed based on a big tree which gathers various animals and insects.

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Nendo WEBSITE
MORE of Drawer House
Small article on TOKIOQ
If you speak japanese, HERE and HERE
And they got nice furniture at SWEDESE

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Wow, what's an idea !
I do like the "sinking funiture idea"
I've just wondered how's the funiture worked ? when whe sink it
Oh man, It give me a thinking between function and form and...space