Suppose Design Office Staff Did the Demolition

When asked what they focused on for the renovation of the new Tokyo office, Mr. Tanijiri replied, "The fact that the staff did the demolition." While they usually hire demolition contractors for their work sites, they started with the idea that "demolishing the interior of an apartment should be easy enough for the staff to do themselves." However, they found it to be quite challenging and tough. The demolition alone took about two months.

The new office is a renovated L-shaped space of approximately 70 square meters in a condominium about 40 years old. There is no trace of the previous interior, with exposed concrete walls and intersecting H-beams catching the eye. The staff's workspace is located to the right upon entering, while the left side features zinc-plated steel sheets and candy paint finishes, with storage space inside.

Ai Yoshida, the co-representative, stated that the reason for moving the office was, "We wanted to be able to welcome visitors." True to her word, desks are placed behind the staff's workspace, and a meeting table, blessed with natural light, is arranged along the window.

Reusing and Repurposing H-beams

Regarding "KT -kata-", a new product born from the collaboration between Suppose Design Office and KAMO CRAFT, which has also been well-received at the Hong Kong exhibition "MULTIPLE SCALE," Ms. Yoshida explained, "We were asked by the owner of The Trunk Market, a popular flea market in Hiroshima, to participate for the third time. We didn't have anything to sell, so we held workshops. From there, we started thinking about creating something to sell, and considered products made from existing steel materials."

Mr. Tanijiri added, "Is it scrap metal or a product? We ourselves use H-beam offcuts as bookends, or to hold business cards and pens, which led to KT -kata-. It's also interesting that you can work on them yourself, like sanding to reveal brass. We are reusing and repurposing these offcuts that cannot be used in architecture, and currently accept orders via email."

Suppose Design Office's Goals for 2015?

Regarding the incorporation as a joint representative last year, Mr. Tanijiri said, "By having two representatives, our scope of responsibilities expands. From now on, we aim for team strength while leveraging our individual strengths." He jokingly added that their goal is to become like Johnny & Associates.

Regarding their goals for this year, Mr. Tanijiri stated, "We want to build a guesthouse in Hiroshima. The first floor will be a staff cafeteria open to everyone, with offices and accommodation space above." Ms. Yoshida's goal is "to go abroad for a company trip." She also mentioned, "THINK will reach its 50th session on March 13th with guest Ed TSUWAKI. We really want to make this guesthouse a reality so that more busy people will visit Hiroshima."


SUPPOSE DESIGN OFFICE
29-17-306 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-6416-4337
www.suppose.jp