Interior Design

​​A Gothic cathedral can take centuries to complete. A world exposition pavilion may stand for six months. A ritual structure in Kolkata rises and vanishes within five days. Yet each draws pilgrimage, shapes collective memory, and reorganizes urban life. If heritage has long been defined by what endures, architecture repeatedly shows that cultural authority can also belong to what gathers people.

Located in Kofu City, this facility offers three distinct services: consultation for disadvantaged families and children within the community, medical counseling, and staff training. These three functions are performed separately in three buildings: the Center Building consists of consultation rooms and administrative offices and serves as an operational hub overseeing the entire facility; the Clinic Building is where medical counseling is provided, and the Training Building is dedicated to professional training for all staff members of the organization managing the center. The construction was carried out in two phases. In Phase 1, the Center Building and the Clinic Building were completed in 2021. In Phase 2, the Training Building was completed in 2022.

The complex consists of a 24-class junior high school, a 30-class primary school, and a 24-class kindergarten, arranged sequentially from south to north, with integrated basements. The three principal architects in charge of the design engaged in an interesting “design dialogue,” balancing division of labor and collaboration. Given their close relationship, the junior high and primary schools agreed on a coordinated master plan. Both structures adopt a “sandwich”-like layout. First, the dimensions of the connecting body at critical junctions are strictly controlled. Then, each is free to develop its own expression. The junior high and primary school buildings are divided longitudinally into three functional spaces. Arranged from west to east are auxiliary teaching space, main teaching space, and extracurricular interest space.

The Calming Abode is a 10,000 sq ft private residence in Surat, conceived as an inward-looking sanctuary shaped by sculpted volumes, material restraint, and spatial calm. The primary challenge was addressing the inherently generous scale of the house while ensuring the interiors remained grounded, composed, and deeply inhabitable rather than overtly grand.

In the morning, children learn math in the primary school, and in the afternoon, piano lessons in the music school. And in the evening, members of the town band meet to make music together. The new education campus in Oberwart is a lively place for the entire town.