Life Cycle of Office

Goro Seki, Chief Architect, Nikken Sekkei Ltd. + ECIFFO

The concept of "scrap and build," which has been a major trend since the period of high economic growth, is now obsolete, because architectures are valued as social stock. In such an age, extending the life cycle of buildings is one of our urgent agendas. This issue considers office renewal techniques and design philosophy required to create office spaces responsive to the advancing information technology and future changes.

 
Johnson Wax Buildings, Racine, USA
   
Demolishing old buildings and constructing new offices are no longer a trend. Instead, we must preserve resources and environment and inherit historical properties, while providing old architectures with advancing information technologies. This article illustrates the techniques of renewing old buildings in compliance with the advance of information technology without rebuilding them, citing the cases of office renewal done by Mario Bellini Associate in Italy, IBM Italy and Johnson Wax in the U.S.
 
 
Mario Bellini Associati, Milano, ITALY
 
 
IBM Italy Headquarters/ Segrate,ITALY
 
 
IBM Italy Education Center/ Milano, ITALY
 
 
 
CORTESI DESIGN/ ITALY
 
 
 
Johnson Wax Buildings, Racine, USA
 

HELP YOUR SELF
Akihiro Kishimoto, Institute of Office Systems, Kokuyo Co., Ltd.

The office space can function fully only when it caters to the needs arising from the workstyle of the people using it. The function of the space can best be maintained when we leave the office renovation in the hand of the user who is most aware of the constantly changing needs of the organization an the necessity of introducing the rapidly advancing information technology. This article explores the possibility of such office interior renovation.

Green Renovation

  
Contributed by Randolph R. Croxton and Kirsten Childs, Croxton Collaborative

In applying environmental agendas to the built environment, it is important to reuse, renovate, upgrade and renew existing buildings. Croxton and Childs give an overview of the office renewal methods which are friendly to the environment.
 

Aging of Buildings

  
Contributed by Yoshinori Kitsutaka,
Associate Professor, Tokyo Metropolitan University

The building starts imprinting the passage of time on its outside surfaces on the first day it is completed. Some of such imprints appear quaint rather than ugly. Takahashi analyzes facade designs which help buildings grow beautifully.