Escape the showroom! “KeiyoGAS Community Terrace” (nicknamed “Terasu”), a corporate facility that grows with the community

Keiyo Gas Co., Ltd. (Keiyo Gas), which mainly develops city gas business with supply area in the northwestern part of Chiba Prefecture, opened "KeiyoGAS Community Terrace" (nicknamed "Terasu") in August 2021 after renovating a showroom as a community space. . Based on the concept of "lighting up the town with children and adults", we aim to enrich the lives and activities of local people, and have been reborn as a facility with shared kitchens and studios. Just a few months after opening, it is becoming a part of life in the city, such as moms chatting while knitting and people teleworking alone. Kajimura, who is in charge of this article, has created a vision and concept from the launch of the facility to its opening, and has provided operational support after opening.

Photo: KeiyoGAS Community Terrace (nickname: Terrace)

From creating corporate facilities that are open to the community and involved with the community
Consider the possibility of corporate branding

The ideal state of corporate facilities and the relationship between companies and local communities are being reconsidered after the corona disaster. Keiyo Gas Sales Planning Department Sales Planning Group Terasu Team Leader Yusuke Suzuki, who is challenging new corporate facilities through co-creation with local residents, and Masami Otsuki, Representative Director of Polaris Co., Ltd., a non-profit company that manages "Terasu" Looking back on the project with NOMURA Co., Ltd. members who were in charge of the project, Sayaka Koga (space design) and Ryomasa Yano (project management), we explored the possibilities of corporate branding that became apparent through our involvement with the local community. To go.

(From left to right) Naomi Kajimura (planner), Yusuke Suzuki of Keiyo Gas, Sayaka Koga (designer), Masami Otsuki of Polaris, Ryomasa Yano (project leader)

Aiming to create tomorrow's lifestyle
Creating a place to increase contact points with everyone in the community

Kajimura:
Compared to the past, the nature of information has changed significantly, and the relationship between companies and consumers has changed completely. Furthermore, the value of the region (local area) has changed significantly for both companies and consumers through the corona disaster. In future corporate communications, I believe that the perspective of "region" will be a hint for increasing engagement with consumers.
Under such circumstances, I would like to have the opportunity to work with Keiyo Gas, which has been developing businesses closely related to the community for many years, and to work on this showroom (hereinafter referred to as SR) renewal with the desire to be more involved with the "region". I had a request. First of all, please introduce Keiyo Gas and tell us about the SR renewal.

Suzuki:
Keiyo Gas supplies city gas mainly in the northwestern part of Chiba Prefecture. The area is limited, but because it is a bedroom town, we supply gas to this many customers. In 2021, we have rebranded to become a company that provides not only gas and energy but also the comfort of all aspects of customer life. As one of our lifestyle-related services, we have started a house cleaning business (“Keiyo Gas House Cleaning”).
Keiyo Gas HP

Keiyo Gas Co., Ltd. Sales Planning Department Sales Planning Group Terrace Team Leader Yusuke Suzuki

Suzuki:
The former SR underwent a major renovation in 2007. As a countermeasure against all-electricity, we mainly exhibited gas appliances and renovation products with the main purpose of having you experience and experience the goodness of gas appliances. On the other hand, it took a considerable amount of energy to change the exhibits every year, and in terms of renovation sales and equipment sales, sales methods were diversifying, such as many channels other than SR being oriented. While running SR while facing these issues, I was searching for the ideal SR itself.

Kajimura:
Did you do any benchmarks when deciding on the renewal policy?

Suzuki:
Looking at the SR initiatives of city gas companies of the same scale as our company, we found that they were providing a variety of services closer to the people of the community, and there was much to learn about how they were rooted in the community. Also, I have been to most of the popular facilities in the world. After all, I realized that things are important, not things.
Therefore, we considered zoning on the theme of cooking and eating habits on the 1st floor and a place for parents and children through cultural elements on the 2nd floor so that local people could visit on a daily basis.

Yano:
During the orientation, keywords such as "more than a community center, less than a hall" were given.

Suzuki:
Public halls that cannot be used for commercial activities, and halls that are limited in use and scale. I wanted to take advantage of the advantage of being run by a private company, and create a facility that could be easily maneuvered between the two.

A flat relationship that transcends position
Important for future space creation and branding

Kajimura:
The renovation policy contained a strong desire to make it a facility that local people can use on a daily basis. How did the members NOMURA Co., Ltd. respond to such a policy?

Yano:
My first impression was that I was surprised that I had shaken off, but I was also worried. However, Mr. Suzuki also commented that we should work hard together, so we felt that we should do our best to come up with a proposal.

Koga:
After the corona misfortune, more companies than before are turning their attention to the region. In the midst of a shift from how to appeal our company's products and businesses to a bird's-eye view such as the SDGs, I was frankly accepted. However, I was worried about how it would be managed. The process, including after opening, is a big issue.

(From left to right) Sayaka Koga (designer), Ryomasa Yano (project leader)

Kajimura:
I agree. When I saw the renewal policy and branding activities of Keiyo Gas, I found it interesting that they are a company with a human touch. Then, in order to explore the potential of the region, we actually did fieldwork in the region and talked with people who are doing interesting initiatives. From there, I felt that the area is characterized by very active civic activities.
Can we make use of the energy of such a region for new SR management, and can we enrich our lives in the city by gathering and connecting citizens? We envisioned a new facility image, thinking that creating a space that is good for all three would contribute to the branding of Keiyo Gas.

Facility concept

Kajimura:
And this time, I thought that it was important for a new facility to design the process of creating a place while getting more and more involved in the local community and how people interacted with each other. It's called community design.

Suzuki:
Despite the bold renewal policy, we were also uneasy, to be honest. Meanwhile, we were able to receive proposals from NOMURA Co., Ltd. that exceeded our expectations. In addition, we were able to make a decision because we received proposals from various approaches.

Kajimura:
In a good way, we were entrusted with this task, and we were able to actively take on challenges with a sense of fun. When it comes to corporate facilities, it is natural to have a relationship between the company that provides the service and the user who enjoys the service. However, here we defined that users can be both users and partners, and asked citizens who are active in the community to join us in creating this space. It was a big challenge for us to design a process that involved citizens, starting with building relationships with citizens at round-table discussions.

Yano:
As a project leader, I valued listening to needs, so I put a lot of emphasis on this process. Even if we design spatial functions based on hypotheses, they are nothing more than desk theories, so we should explore what the local people want. It's not good to ask too much, but it's also wrong to draw a line. The design of the process of listening to this need and verifying it was troublesome.
In searching for needs, there was also a plan proposal from the operating company Polaris, so we took the form of a round-table discussion rather than an interview. Several people from three local organizations, as well as members of our company and people from Keiyo Gas, participated in the event. We were able to have a conversation from the user's point of view, rather than taking the stance of asking us to listen. Although there are various needs, I feel that it was easy to pick up the essence. I think it was a big point that this step was taken before the facility was completed.

Photo: Round-table discussion

 

Through creating a place for everyone to grow
A relationship that goes beyond the company and the customer

Kajimura:
Polaris, who was in charge of the operation of the facility, played a big role in building relationships with the people of this area. Now, please introduce Polaris and your impressions of being involved in this project.

Otsuki:
At Polaris, our mission is to "create a way of working that will be commonplace in the future", and we support working in the region through community building. We aim to build relationships through work and enrich our lives through work. In addition to community management, we are working on "Kurashi no Kuuki", which conveys local information when condominiums are sold, back office work for small and medium-sized enterprises, and liberal arts learning together on the theme of working.
Polaris HP

Mr. Masami Otsuki, Representative Director of Polaris Co., Ltd.

Otsuki:
In general, it is customary to be requested by the management after the facility is completed. Since we were able to have a dialogue with the local people from the previous stage, it became a place where we could become involved and have a chance to get involved. That was a big point. I think that it has become possible to operate the facility smoothly for both the staff and the local people.
Mr. Suzuki's enthusiasm is the same, but Mr. Kajimura's attitude of getting into the area from the preliminary stage of planning and going to listen to the voices of the people in the area made me feel that he was serious. I think these people are interesting.

Kajimura:
From the planning stage, I felt the potential through conversations with local people. Mr. Otsuki, how did you feel after having a dialogue with the local people at the round-table discussion?

Otsuki:
People who are engaged in civic activities in Ichikawa City already have a network and are on good terms. The day before the round-table discussion, it seems that everyone met. When I started talking about what I wanted to do with everyone in the town through "Terasu", it was surprising and fresh that the participants, who I thought they already knew, were able to hear their individual thoughts for the first time beyond the framework of the group. seemed to have felt

Kajimura:
When participating in the round-table discussion, I think it was a good opportunity for everyone to face the city frankly by speaking not as a representative of an organization but as a single person who lives in the city.
Citizens' groups who participate in this discussion are called "supporters" in "Terasu". As a business operator, what is your relationship with the supporters?

Suzuki:
To be honest, I have not yet decided how to interact with everyone who is neither a company nor an individual. There are still many issues to be addressed in terms of inviting supporters to come together to create "Terasu".

Otsuki:
It is often said that we “create” a community, but a community is not something that can be created with the intention of creating it. It's a place to "nurture" where you don't know which way you'll fall, depending on the people involved. It takes time to grow, so I think it will be a challenge for everyone involved to see how far the company can face the changes that occur every few years.

Kajimura:
There is a membership system for using the terrace. In order to become a member, it is necessary to participate in a tour of the facility and empathize with the philosophy. It looks like we have over 100 members. Please tell us your thoughts on growing the community in the future.

Suzuki:
Based on the voices of users, we have created a new frame called "slow use". Then, I was able to see usage scenes that I did not expect. Rules are necessary, but I would like to cherish the attitude of being close to the community by responding flexibly according to needs. Although it is difficult, I would like to work on creating a facility that grows together with the community by valuing listening to the voices of the local people.

A word from Nomura members through the “Terasu” project

Koga:
Until now, most of the facilities have peaked when they are open. I haven't had much experience with facilities that get better over time, so I feel the potential. In the spatial design, we proceeded in a fumbling state while making hypotheses about how it would be used to some extent. It turned out well, and as a result, we were able to create a space where everyone can do whatever they want.
In addition, I felt that Keiyo Gas was serious about working closely with people in the community rather than focusing on its own company, so as a designer, I was able to respond with peace of mind. The policy of not pushing out the corporate color produced good results as it created an inclusive and neutral world.

Yano:
When I catch a glimpse of the daily usage scene, I feel that it is starting to become a part of the community. It would be great if we could create a relationship and a system that would allow us to share ideas for improving the lives of our community with various people, including our supporters.
Even if there is a policy to create a flexible space, it is generally the case that the company's conditions are added as it progresses. This time, everyone at Keiyo Gas took each of our suggestions seriously and responded with sincerity, and as a result we were able to create a better space, which was fun from a management perspective.

Kajimura:
Even if you try to create a flexible space, it's just a dead space if you can't see who will operate it and how. Flexibility comes to life only when there is a system for sustainable growth as a facility. Also, by preparing a place where users can participate, I think that the facility will become their own thing and attachment will be born, which will become the energy for self-running.
As one of the ways to create this space for involvement, we have established a regular program of “Terasu” to give supporters and members an opportunity to think about the lives of the community. We hope that this will lead to a positive cycle that spreads not only to facilities but also to the community.

Photo: Standard program scene on the terrace

This article introduces the key points for creating facilities that grow together with the local community, which can be seen through the events on the terrace. Also check this.
A new relationship between companies and local communities, a community nurtured by KeiyoGAS Community Terrace

Kajimura:
Thank you for today.