nendo designs plant-filled communication lounge for japanese homebuilder company in osaka

nendo designs communication lounge for Sekisui House Ltd

Design studio Nendo introduces SUMU FUMU terrace, a communication lounge designed for homebuilder company Sekisui House Ltd in Osaka, Japan. The design generates a flexible space that can accommodate a variety of contents, responding efficiently to multiple needs and scenarios. Offering casual housing consultation over a cup of coffee, the lounge is formed to host seminars, workshops, and art exhibitions on a regular basis. Large windows, glass surfaces, and greenery are introduced to the space in order to promote the feeling of openness. The lounge is also equipped with an open design studio function to help visitors feel more comfortable with the architects.

All images by Takumi Ota

a space of freedom and diversity

‘With the change in needs of potential homebuyers caused by the increasing amount of information available online, the conventional housing service with showhouse or room mockup has been replaced by a more long-term, intangible one such as consultation on lifestyle, maintenance, and adaptation to changing family structures.’ Nendo shares. Such trends have minimized the service style with material samples and models, in favor of more diverse communication spaces such as a cafe, gallery, and lounge. With this new reality as their context, the design team created the SUMU FUMU terrace as an adaptable space that will serve both architects and clients, while catering to their ever-changing needs.

In order to make the space diverse enough to house multiple uses, and open enough to dispel the sense of uneasiness that comes from closed spaces, the architects installed glass doors throughout the design. These bring a sense of openness by letting in natural light and greenery from the outside, while maintaining the functional role as a partition between inside and outside. 200 frames are arranged in a spiral shape with plants in between, to gently divide the large space and provide a sense of ambiguity. Rails are built in the glass doors to allow for flexible attachment of shelves, hangers, hooks, and monitors. the materials used on the floor and the ceiling create a contrasting visual effect, with similar colors applied in alternating directions. The overall design is characterized by freedom and diversity, created by the gradual partition with glass doors, which neither restricts the use of space nor human activities.