Interview with Kotoaki Asano

Kotoaki Asano ("KA") interviewed on Tuesday, 20 March.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

KA : From 1997 to 2005, I worked at Hiroshi Hara + atelier · Φ.After that, in 2005 I established my own office.

How did you become a designer?

KA : Originally, I wanted to be a scientist. Scientists have to reach the only correct answer.However, I became interested in artistic approaches to numerous solutions.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

KA : I move my hands, draw sketches and decide the design.As much as possible, I emphasize that spatial diagrams clearly emerge.Furthermore, in that diagram, I am orienting something that preserves the diversity of elements.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

KA : I always want to solve many complicated conditions with simple schema.I feel great joy when it is achieved.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

KA : Creators must have many poetic images.Poetic images are visual ones, linguistic ones, and physical things.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

KA : I would like to design not only architecture but also spaces with theatrical elements.In other words, I want to embed temporal stories in spaces.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

KA : I think that the materials of the designs are not in my own idea, but between me and the opponent.Furthermore, I think that it is important to actually see more things.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

KA : I think that design is to create empties, margins and blanks.In other words, I think it is important to subtract rather than add.

What is your day to day look like?

KA : I do a lot of practical work everyday.However, somewhere in the day, I emptied my head and cherish the time for ideas to spring.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

KA : First of all, I think it is important to understand firmly the work group called modern architecture classics.The state-of-the-art trends are understood as the distance from that modern classic.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

KA : Especially architecture can not fully design how to use.I think that the design, that is used beyond what I was expecting at the design stage, is a really good design.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

KA : When is the moment to end the design process, it is a really difficult problem.I think that the design process will never end.In reality, I think that the deadline of the contract etc. will finish the design.

What is your biggest design work?

KA : It is a house called "Gradation in the Forest". I got inspiration from Escher 's "Metamorphosis".The theme is the gradual transformation of spaces and the arrangement of cubes of different sizes.I think that a clear answer and an entirely new method were given to the theme of space diversity.

Who is your favourite designer?

KA : I am interested in Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius. The interest is still continuing.Besides that, now I am interested in Alvar Aalto and Frank Gehry.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

KA : I currently live in Tokyo.In the city I saw so far, I gained a strong inspiration from the cities such as Hanoi, Naples, Barcelona, Prague, Chicago.The world is never completely internationalized. I think the strong originality of the places will remain.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

KA : I think that it is important to keep calm and gentle emotions in doing works. I think that it is important to keep calm and gentle emotions, in personal relationships and in relationships with people who work together.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

KA : More than anything, architects contribute to society through realized buildings.Next, we need to proactively present the architectural image that will come from now, leading the future image of the city.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

KA : To know objectively the value of my design. Meeting various people through it. To be able to have positive feelings for myself.Today, I think that designers can visualize the invisible will of times and society.

Kotoaki Asano Profile