daisuke motogi architects designs 'dappled' office in tokyo

daisuke architecture and design (DDAA) designs the tokyo office space for DAQ, an iphone accessories company. the space had been converted from a former french restaurant. a black perforated partition divides the spacious open-plan office from the cluster of smaller rooms which include a meeting room and executive’s office. the japanese studio had adopted the open plan to allow natural light through the south and east windows, illuminating the entire office of 24 employees.

all images by kenta hasegawa

designer daisuke motogi aimed to avoid a ‘monotonous’ layout, typical of many open plan offices, in which ‘each seat is differentiated solely by the amount of sunlight it receives.’ various types of seats were designed, each with its own character and level of privacy. these include sun-lit window seats with a view, tall desks where one can work standing up or sitting on a high stool, cubicle-type seats — designed in the same size as typical cubicles in manga cafes in japan — for those who want to concentrate or work alone, in addition to standard desks and chairs.

the manga cafe-type cubicles are enclosed using soft partitions made of felt. zippers along the corner edges keep the fabric from loosening, and the inside of each cubicle is equipped with pockets designed to hold A4-size documents and a task light. this light fixture is easily adjustable as it is casually clipped to a belt attached to partitions the way one would clip a pair of glasses or a pen to a shirt pocket. 

DAQ co., the owner of iphone accessories brands andmesh and squair, is known for their products made of perforated mesh material. the perforated material used by DDAA in the detailing of the office was modeled after this iconic product. these perforations, used also in the furniture produced by E&Y, express the corporate identity on a spatial scale. the material also serves to transmit air and light, alleviating the confined condition of the executive room and meeting room. the perforations are large enough to insert round pegs used as door handles and also as shelf dowels. employees may easily arrange shelving at any convenient location.