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Interview with Hiroki Watanabe |
Home > Designer Interviews > Hiroki Watanabe |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Hiroki Watanabe (HW) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Hiroki Watanabe by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
HW: When I was a child, my grandfather told me, while I was playing with blocks, "Why don't you try being an architect in the future?" He said to me, "Why don't you become an architect in the future? I was playing with blocks. Perhaps because of this, I was interested in architecture from an early age, going to see buildings and reading about them. I was fascinated by beautiful architecture, and I was also interested in meaningful design (socially and for the global environment), and I have always liked the architecture of Tadao Ando and Peter Zumthor. When I went to college, I had no particular hesitation in wanting to become an architect, so I studied hard in architecture, and today I am an architect.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
HW: At S Design Farm, we design with the following themes in mind. We design "inspiring spaces" for "everyday life". We pursue the two possibilities of designing spaces that are universal and enrich our daily lives, while at the same time providing spaces that are good and exciting in ways that cannot be expressed in numerical values.
FS: What is "design" for you?
HW: Design is a proposal that combines both "beauty" and "reasonable meaning" and is a gift to the client, society, and the earth.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
HW: Houses are my favorite architecture. It is a small world, but no two are the same depending on the client, location, social conditions, etc. They come together to form a town or city. It is precisely because architecture is full of possibilities that I want to continue designing.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
HW: When building any architecture, there are always problems and challenges. I like to find the keys to solve them, to think of designs that create value that can only be found there, and to create beautiful architecture.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
HW: The first work he did for the design office was a house, "Murakoshi House".
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
HW: I like primitive things like wood and steel and stone.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
HW: I feel creative when I find issues, find clues to solve them, and sublimate them into architecture.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
HW: We value the duality of "beauty" and "reasonable meaning.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
HW: I am excited about what I can do for my clients, society, and the planet, and I am excited about my own design.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
HW: I am excited.
FS: What makes a design successful?
HW: I believe the shortcut to success is to be aware of three things: finding a problem, coming up with a solution, and creating a beautiful and reasonable design.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
HW: We make decisions based on two things at the same time: beauty and whether or not it makes sense. I try not to judge too much on one side alone.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
HW: I believe that it is our responsibility to pursue beauty and reasonable design throughout our lives, and to preserve consideration and kindness for people and the earth for future generations, while placing importance on safety and security as the minimum manners.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
HW: With today's advances in AI, the barriers to design have been lowered considerably, and I believe that there will be more opportunities for anyone to think about design. I hope that AI and humans will cooperate to create a better world for the future.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
HW: I have never participated in an exhibition yet, and would love to do so if the opportunity arises!
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
HW: We are inspired by books, media, social networking sites, and many other places. But not only that, we work with an awareness of "continuing to think every day" in order to find issues and come up with solutions.
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
HW: I try to design beautiful and reasonable designs, and I think about architecture that excites me on a daily basis.
FS: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
HW: I work in Tokyo, Japan. Japan is a region with a long history and seasonal changes, so there is never a dull moment and there are many things to think about, so I feel the importance of thinking every day. When thinking about design, there are many small changes and differences, so I think having many opportunities to design is an advantage. The disadvantage is that we are an island country, so we do not have many opportunities to experience other cultures.
FS: How do you work with companies?
HW: As a client, I am conscious of thinking from the same perspective.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
HW: We work together with the company to come up with a proposal for the future and the ideas that the company has in mind. I believe that it is important to choose a good designer who has a good ear and a working hand.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
HW: We discuss the problems and solutions after properly organizing the site and the client's conditions. Then, as architects, we consider architecture that is a good answer to society and the global environment. We strive to create designs that are both beautiful and reasonable, and we seek to create forms that expand possibilities.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
HW: MacBook iPad Notebook Scale Rotring800
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
HW: I think about architecture from the time I wake up in the morning until I go to bed. I often work from home and spend time with my family at mealtimes and other times in my life.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
HW: I think it is important to be aware of the importance of understanding one's own strengths to work with AI, including oneself, and to enhance sensitivity on a daily basis.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
HW: The positive is that everything in the world is connected to my work in architecture, so I am stimulated every day. The negative is that I keep thinking about architecture even on my days off.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
HW: I always want to feel the beauty of the architecture and realize that it makes sense, and I also want to use and live in it myself.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
HW: Sensibility to notice what is important
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
HW: I use notebooks and iPads to sketch out ideas, and make use of CAD, BIM, etc. I also make models and think about architecture.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
HW: Schedules are very important to our clients and their businesses. We work backwards from the due date to the time it takes to do the work, study, and research, and make arrangements to ensure that the due date is met.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
HW: It may take from six months to several years, depending on the scale and application. However, the idea and direction are often decided early on, and time is often spent on the study to realize it.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
HW: How, we are often asked to think about ideas and architecture
FS: What was your most important job experience?
HW: Accomplish and be impressed.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
HW: Although there are many different ideologies, many of the clients understand themselves, are generous and sympathetic to the architect's ideas, and are willing to trust us, and all of them are respectful.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
HW: I enjoy every design because almost no two designs or processes are the same. The most enjoyable work of all is when the architect, client, and creator can work together in the same direction and respect each other. Whenever that happens, a masterpiece is born.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
HW: In a few years, I will become independent and open my own design office. I would like to become an architect who can work not only in Japan but also in the world. Next, I am considering off-grid architecture in the great outdoors.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
HW: Situational. We work both individually and as a team. We don't limit ourselves to just one or the other, we make decisions on a project-by-project basis.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
HW: I have been involved in a wide variety of projects, from considering off-grid architecture in the great outdoors to building a house in the city center that is well insulated but has a comfortable place to stay.
FS: How can people contact you?
HW: You can contact us directly on our website as well as on social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
HW: We would like to deliver many more works to the world, so we will devote ourselves to this project on a daily basis, and we would appreciate your support.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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