Renovation work does not always go according to plan. Natsumi Mizoguchi is the construction professional who makes proposals from her perspective and accompanies the project until it is handed over. Mizoguchi says she continues to actively absorb knowledge every day in order to become a trusted presence not only for clients, but also for partner companies and management companies, and we take a closer look at her thoughts and dedication.

My job is the last mile, and my mission is to accompany our clients on the "final leg" of providing them with their ideal space. When we receive a request for business negotiations for complex projects or consultations on highly challenging construction projects, the first thing I do is attend the meeting. Next, I conduct a site survey with our partner companies to check the location of smoke exhaust equipment and piping, the building, existing finishes, firefighting equipment, and delivery routes.

In addition to consulting with building management companies, we are also responsible for submitting applications to the fire department and local government, and preparing safety documents.We also create step diagrams and schedules that show "when, where, who, and which tasks will be performed," and hold numerous process meetings with the subcontractors, construction companies, and engineering companies involved in the construction.

We are present at construction work that requires the judgment of an engineer, and while prioritizing the safety of the workers, we respond quickly to any problems and hand over the work to the customer.
The difficult part about construction is that it sometimes doesn't proceed according to the set steps. For example, when removing the ceiling boards, pipes that were not found in the preliminary survey are revealed, and it may be impossible to install the planned parts.

Because there are so many people involved, if you are hesitant, it will affect the whole team. That is why it is also an important role to negotiate with workers on site and find ways to keep things moving forward according to plan.

Even if something unexpected happens, we don't want to reduce the number of proposals that will please our customers. Once construction begins, it's difficult to go back. For example, even if a customer requests that we "build partitions all the way up to the ceiling to improve sound insulation," implementing this request could be problematic legally. However, if we can get a professional opinion at an early stage, we may be able to present alternative solutions and cost-saving proposals.

I believe that it is important to listen carefully to what our customers have to say and build a relationship of trust at an early stage. To avoid losing their trust, we communicate with our customers even during construction, explaining the current situation and visiting them in person to explain the situation.

I feel a great sense of accomplishment when a space that has been created with a lot of ingenuity and collaboration with many partner companies is completed, and the most rewarding moment for me is when the customer finally says "thank you" with a smile.

Because I am still a newcomer to the construction industry, I am sometimes seen as unreliable at contractor meetings when a new project begins. That is why I am aiming to obtain a first-class construction management engineer qualification so that people will think, "I can trust this person" from the very first meeting.

I have already obtained the Level 2 qualification, but if I had the Level 1 qualification, I would be able to work full-time on government projects and large-scale projects as a supervising engineer, which would greatly expand the scope of my work. I also think that being able to show my qualifications would increase my credibility.

In recent years, I have been proactively taking on unprecedented projects, wanting to gain knowledge through my own efforts. Asbestos surveys and dust control measures have become mandatory, but at the time there was no one around with experience. For this reason, I spent time gathering information in advance and consulted directly with the government, striving to present safe and correct construction procedures. I also hold study sessions, making use of the knowledge and experience I gained on-site.

Trust is essential to being entrusted with large-scale or complex projects. That's why I want to learn new things every day and share that information within the company to help raise the construction level of Itoki as a whole.

We believe that responding to legal changes in a timely manner and carrying out safe and correct construction work will lead to increased trust in Itoki within the industry.