Serendipity connects the office and the city. The Possibility of Semi-Public Talks with Motoko Tanaka

Grand Level Motoko Tanaka x NOMURA Co., Ltd. Planner Ryusuke Nomura,
Talk about what you can do to connect “workplace” and “lifestyle”.

NOMURA Co., Ltd. of Grand Level and Ryusuke Nomura, planner of NOMURA Co., Ltd., walked around Odaiba in order to verify the hypothesis that Nomura Kogei Co., Ltd. had set up, "Odaiba's Grand Level is on the second floor!?" . (Click here for the town walking version)

After walking for an hour, head to the communication space "RESET SPACE (RE/SP _2)" opened in March 2021 for Nomura Kogeisha employees under the creative director role of NOMURA Co., Ltd.. Based on the concept of a “unique park,” it was created with a “semi-public*” middle ground between private and public in order to create communication that starts with people.
*Semi-public is a place positioned between the inside of a house (private space) and the outside (public space).

At this place that Nomura was in charge of planning, we will look back on the town while checking the Polaroid photos.

What kind of story will come out of the mouths of the two who seem to be completely open to each other? This is the start of the dialogue.
[Interview date: October 2021 / Due to production reasons, some masks are removed only during shooting]

The sense of distance between “workers” and “livers” seen while walking around town

――How did you feel when you walked around Odaiba today?

Tanaka
"Today may be the first time I've spent time in Odaiba thinking that it's such a wonderful place."

Nomura
"Really!? That makes me happy."

Tanaka
“And to be honest, I was surprised to find that it was such a fun place to spend almost no money.”

Nomura
“I understand. Odaiba is a city of consumption—many people may have that image, but…..When I went to Rainbow Park earlier and saw children running around energetically, Odaiba I felt that everyday life is definitely there.I feel like I could see the gradation of the town from hare (extraordinary) to ke (ordinary) because I walked.”

Tanaka
“I think that it is precisely because of these everyday landscapes and faces that the city becomes a city. I feel that there are still a lot of people who think of Odaiba as a city. However, when I actually walked around, I felt that it was a city where I could fully enjoy the beauty of nature. It's become a small town. I think we can appeal more about that in the future."

Nomura
"That's right. It's also a time when people are reconsidering how important it is to take a break in nature in the wake of the coronavirus. ” and ``the place where we live'' is still greatly divided.We have to do something to connect this, and I feel that this is the future mission of NOMURA Co., Ltd.”

Tanaka
“Until the 20th century, it was common practice to work in an office building and wear a suit. In the future, the company will benefit from the judgment and sensibilities of an individual, not just an employee. I feel that the division between 'work place' and 'living place' is getting looser and looser."

"Odaiba's ground level is on the second floor! ? is the answer?

Nomura
“There was an exhibition at Big Sight today, so there were a lot of people in suits around there, right? Also, past that point, there was a mother and her child pushing a stroller in casual clothes...not only the place, but also the people, from suits to everyday clothes, and there was a gradation.It was a fresh discovery. I've been working in Odaiba, but I didn't notice it."

Tanaka
“Odaiba has very wide roads, huge buildings, and the area is spread out, isn’t it?

Nomura
"Maybe so. Oh yeah, I thought that Odaiba is a big building! But when I actually walked around today, I didn't feel that huge. It's true that the road on the first floor is wide, but the area around Decks Tokyo Beach is comfortable and very easy to walk around, so I thought it might be said that it's on a human scale*.
*Human scale: A size that allows people to live in peace (from the NPO Iezukuri no Kai website)

Tanaka
“I felt that too. The second floor, which is used by the residents, is comfortable because the sky is clear, and there are no cars coming, so it is easy to walk. !?” is no longer a hypothesis, it’s true! I think you’re right.”

Thinking about building the core of Odaiba's community

--thank you. So, what can we do to connect the “place of living” and the “place of work” that can sometimes feel separated?

Tanaka
“People’s field of vision is about 140 degrees, which is narrow, isn’t it? Imagine a place right next to you.What if there was a bench in one of the corners of the field?The number of people who gather will increase.But if there is nothing, they will leave the station and scatter to their respective places. So in Odaiba, there may still be room to think about what to do with one angle of view, what to concentrate and what to disperse.

Nomura
“Yes, yatai (laughs).

――It’s a free coffee stall, isn’t it?

Tanaka
“Yes. At first, I was serving coffee and alcohol to my friends in my office. I wanted to do it, so I built a stall and started serving coffee to passers-by.”

Mr. Tanaka serving coffee and other drinks to passers-by at his personal stall. Photo: Courtesy of Ground Level Co., Ltd.

Nomura
"It's free, right?"

Tanaka
"Yes. If you receive even one yen, it will end up as a very obvious act of 'buying'. But if you ask me 'Why is it free?' It will be a harvest of

Nomura
"I see. Earlier we talked about how it would be interesting if we could think of a place where everyone can concentrate, something like the core of the Odaiba community. The flexibility and lightness are certainly attractive.Not only fixed in one place, but also intentionally placed in various places.I think we can define it as ``The place where the food stalls appear today is the place where everyone gathers.'' ”

Tanaka
"It's more interesting that way! That might lead to conversations like 'Where is that stall going today?' or 'Let's go look for it.' I think it will be a good opportunity to see various scenes and places.As a result, people with different attributes will be able to mix."

Improving the city improves the quality of life

――As the core of a community that connects a “place of living” and a “place of work,” for example, if a stall were to be set up, would it be better for a private company to take the lead?

Tanaka
“When the private sector does it, it has the advantage that it can be unique or unfair. I think that in this diversified world, it is already difficult to create one thing and satisfy everyone. So, for example, if we were to put out floats, wouldn't it be better for different companies and individuals to put them out? As a result, you will be able to accept all kinds of people.In the process, I think the division between ``workplace'' and ``living space'' will become thinner."

Nomura
“Right now, there are food trucks in front of our company for lunch. About three trucks every day. At first, it was only our employees who went to buy food, but soon the employees of the company next door also came to buy it, and now we have them. There are also mothers with children living in Daiba.”

Tanaka
“Wow, you have already loosened the divide.

Nomura
“But what to do after buying lunch is that everyone takes it home or takes it home to eat. I think people from all over the world will mingle there. Maybe that's what semi-publicization is all about.

Tanaka
"Come on! You may not have drawn that blueprint from the beginning, but weren't you happy when you saw moms and kids coming to the food truck to buy?"

Nomura
“Yes, I was happy (laughs).”

Tanaka
"You know (laughs) I'm really happy about that. One of my town development projects is called the Bench Project. It's really nice to see an unexpected guest sit down.It's like, 'Oh!

"TOKYO/JAPAN BENCH PROJECT" The left is before placing the bench, and the right is after placing the bench
By installing benches, it became a space where people can gather. Photo: Courtesy of Ground Level Co., Ltd.

Nomura
"I think you can understand that. It's very important to create a place where people can gather. In this RE/SP_2, benches are placed at key points, and that's one of the magnet effects. I think it is."

Tanaka
“Bench has an action that cannot be expressed by the word ‘sit’. It's also very exciting to be able to

Nomura
"It sure looks like it's going to be fun~"

Tanaka “If the number of semi-public places increases, it will change the quality of life for the people of the town. Rather, to improve the quality of human life, because even if you can't change the length of life, you can change the quality."

Semi-public and serendipity, what are the benefits of connecting regions and companies?

Thinking about creating happiness for the community as well as the happiness of our employees

――Lastly, walking around Odaiba today, did you ever have a flash of “I want to do this?”

Nomura
“Yatai! Also, I would like to do something similar to Mr. Tanaka’s bench project, which is to put benches in town. I think this town needs more places where

Tanaka
“A bench is a bench that welcomes everyone with open arms. It is the smallest semi-public unit. Kindness is embodied in the townscape. As I said earlier, seeing unexpected behavior and accidental encounters is the real pleasure of setting up a bench.Recently, the word serendipity has become common. ”

Nomura
“It’s a chance encounter, isn’t it?

Tanaka
“Of course, I can’t promise that serendipity will always occur when you sit on a bench, but I think it has the power to enhance wonderful coincidences. And when you ask for directions, something expands.In that way, you have the opportunity to chat with people you don't know at all.Semi-public places, not just benches, have that kind of power. I feel that

Benches are also scattered in "RE/SP_2", creating a magnet effect for employees. Employees use it as they please for breaks, meals, meetings, etc., and conversations are born.

Nomura
“Actually, this reset space was also created with serendipity in mind.”

Tanaka
"Really? That's a great coincidence!"

Nomura
"Hey! While I was building this place, I was able to see new things, and I made a lot of discoveries today. I would like to take on various new challenges in order to connect companies and communities. I would like to start thinking about increasing the public."

Tanaka
“That sounds good. I think that increasing the number of semi-public companies will benefit both the company and the community. You can see that there are people... First of all, I wonder if there is such an advantage for the company side."

Nomura
“In terms of our work, we can plan and design with a more realistic image of how the space will be used, so that is certainly a big advantage. If you think about creating happiness for your employees, it's better to think about the happiness of the local community as a result. I wonder if it will lead to ... NOMURA Co., Ltd. 's social good* activities can also be started from Odaiba."

*Social good: NOMURA Co., Ltd. promotes “social good activities” that create a positive impact through business activities in order to realize a sustainable society. Click here for press release

Tanaka
"Yes. If there is anything I can do together in the future, please let me know."

Nomura
"Of course, by all means! Thank you very much for your time today. It was fun."

Tanaka
"I had a lot of fun, too."

--thank you very much.

*Thank you to everyone in the area who cooperated in writing this article.
(Planning: Yukiko Okamura, Ai Ichikawa, Satoko Yokota / Text: Shoko Minamoto / Photo: Yui Yasuda)

Motoko Tanaka /Right photo
Representative Director of Grand Level Co., Ltd. After working as a writer in the field of architecture, in 2016 he established Grand Level Co., Ltd., which specializes in creating rich first floors, under the motto, "Building the first floor is urban development." In 2018, “Cafe Laundry” opened as a private public hall. In 2019, he started the “TOKYO/JAPAN BENCH PROJECT”. In addition to activities to increase the number of benches in the city, he is also involved in the joint development of benches and the launch of brands.

Ryusuke Nomura /photo left
We are working to solve customer problems in various fields such as commercial facility development, regional revitalization, and workplaces, and we are focusing on building communication and creating spaces. Thinking about the future and space design in 5 to 10 years from now on a human scale, while pioneering new fields, he is in charge of consistent creative direction from the planning conception stage to the design and construction phase. Recent achievements include green tea, agriculture, and tourism experience-based food park "KADODE OOIGAWA" (2020), NOMURA Co., Ltd. 's office renewal headquarters "RESET SPACE" (2018), new offices (RESET SPACE_2, etc.) (2021). .