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ITOKI to renovate its head office and showroom on a large scale, reopening on Thursday, November 7, 2024 as "ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE," a place to design WORK-Style of tomorrow
Creating a "Signature Experience" and proposing an office that is effective for human capital management
ITOKI CORPORATION (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Koji Minato) has carried out a large-scale renovation of one floor of its head office and showroom, "ITOKI TOKYO XORK," and will reopen We Design Tomorrow. We Design WORK-Style.."
Itoki's workplace strategy and the aim of the name change
The market environment surrounding offices is undergoing major changes, with diversifying work styles, accelerating digitalization, growing interest in human capital management, and an increase in companies and organizations rethinking their workplaces. Our company's mission statement is "We Design Tomorrow. We Design WORK-Style." and we are constantly proposing new work styles and workplaces, leveraging our strengths in "Tech x Design based on PEOPLE."
ITOKI TOKYO XORK the predecessor of ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE, was opened in the fall of 2018 as a place to put into practice the work style strategy "ABW (Activity Based Working)*," which maximizes self-discipline and autonomously designs work styles so that employees themselves can challenge themselves to transform their work styles and utilize the results in proposals to customers. In order to evolve the conventional work style "WORK" to the next level, the name "XORK" was created by combining the alphabet "W" with "X", and since its opening, it has functioned as the headquarters and showroom where many customers can experience the latest work styles and offices.
XORK will be renovating all three floors from time to time, capturing the ever-changing ways of working and the changing mindsets of workers. In 2022, the 12th floor will be transformed into a space that creates diverse connections and new value with the keyword "creating contact points," and in 2023, the 13th floor will be transformed into a space that fosters a positive mindset that makes people want to go to the office naturally with the keywords "activity (ABW) x comfort" and "return to the office from the worker's perspective." In fact, in the 2023 employee engagement survey, 75% of employees responded positively to the question "ITOKI is a company I can be proud to work for," and the internship application rate for 2025 graduates was +40% compared to 2024 graduates, making it clear that office investment contributes to high employee engagement and enhanced recruitment.
*ITOKI has formed a business partnership with Verdehoen, the work style transformation consulting company that originated ABW, to develop the ABW (Activity Based Working) business.
This time, we have undergone a large-scale renovation of the 11th floor, with the keywords "activity x comfort x mobility" as a space that can increase office workers engagement through technology and design and keep up with changes in work styles. With this as a turning point and a new challenge, we will update the positioning of our center office from the previous "place to put tomorrow's WORK-Style into practice" to "place to design tomorrow's WORK-Style."
"ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE" - A place to design tomorrow's WORK-Style
"ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE" is a place where ITOKI's mission statement We Design Tomorrow. We Design WORK-Style.. For employees, it is an office and a laboratory, and for guests from around the world, it is a showroom where they can get a glimpse of a new WORK-Style that does not yet exist in the world.
Now that WORK-Style has changed more than ever before and there are optimal solutions for each company, ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE pursues functionality and design that makes working itself attractive, and designs "Signature Experience (= experiential value that can only be obtained here)" for each customer. By actually working in the place, you can make discoveries and gain deep insights that cannot be seen in meetings or computer graphics. We believe that everything is design, from fine-tuning the seat angle of an office chair to cultivating the WORK-Style culture of 10 years into the future through dialogue with guests. The word HOUSE expresses our corporate culture and attitude of inheriting a well-ventilated, mature, high-quality atmosphere.
The concept of the newest floor, the 11th floor, is "activity x comfort x mobility."
We live in an age where it is difficult to categorize work styles in a uniform way. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the flexibility of work styles has expanded limitlessly, and the amount of activity in the office (demand for space) is constantly changing depending on the attendance rate, project phase, and business growth. For example, there are "sudden changes" due to "a sudden increase in a certain activity," "periodic changes" due to periodic changes in the balance of activities such as "Mondays, the end of the month," and "irreversible changes" due to evolution from the past such as "recently." While the amount of activity of workers is constantly changing, traditional offices have a constant supply of functions such as work space for activities, so the balance of supply and demand cannot be maintained, resulting in shortages and surpluses.
So what we came up with was "mobility" that can keep up with diversification, change, and evolution of work styles in the short to medium to long term. For example, in response to short-term changes, we can increase supply by utilizing small short-term work spots and large multipurpose tables, and reduce empty space by promoting reservations. On the other hand, in response to medium to long-term changes, we can eliminate redundancy and dissatisfaction and optimize by varying the supply of spatial functions and providing mobility, such as reducing built-in furniture as much as possible and deploying furniture that can be disassembled and assembled, and making things wireless (battery operated). This will enhance the comfort and creation of contact points for office workers, leading to improved productivity and engagement.
The newest floor of ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE not only features high-quality interior design that attracts and motivates people, but also an agile space that is tolerant of ever-changing work styles as an invisible, latent function. The foundation of all this is supported by data-driven operations that visualize and improve signs of change. By combining technology and design, we aim to create an experience that can only be obtained here, leading to improved productivity.
Spaces, products and solutions that realize "activity x comfort x mobility"
Point 1: A large table whose shape allows it to be used in a variety of ways by individuals and groups
To meet changing demand for space, we are using the big table "Centra" (scheduled for release in December 2024), which features a variety of shapes and CMF. In co-working areas, where there is a need to strengthen communication and respond to changes in attendance rates, we have naturally linked individual work and communication, enabling flexible use of the space according to purpose.
Point 2: A divider that can be switched between "gently separating" and "connecting"
Dividers act as a buffer to absorb fluctuations in demand in the office. By zoning open spaces and adding functions such as "sitting" for short work periods, "talking" for seamless communication, and "putting away" to support activities in the space, such as storing books and equipment, the meaning of the space changes, making it possible to both "gently divide" and "connect." This product is scheduled to be released around summer 2025.
The low dividers in the front and back of the center are called Low Dividers (tentative name), and the high divider in the back is called High Divider (tentative name). As this is a prototype, the specifications may differ from those at the time of release.
The high partition surrounding the perimeter is the High Divider (tentative name), and the low partition in front, which also serves as a planter, is the Low Divider (tentative name). As this is a prototype, the specifications may differ from those at launch.
Point 3: A "fixed" yet "fluid" design
We ensure a balance between design and functionality that does not impair the spatial appeal, comfort, or appeal of the space. In addition to functionality, our products and interiors that focus on design and materials enhance comfort and foster a positive mindset toward WORK-Style contributes to strengthening the organization's centripetal force, securing human resources, and improving corporate value.
Point 4: "Data-driven operations" that support comfort and mobility
Behind the scenes of beautiful and comfortable spaces, "data" supports the mobility and comfort of the office. ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE is also running "Data Trekking," an office data analysis service (launched in February 2024) that provides support for agile office construction and operation. Office layout and operation are changed based on visualized and monitored data on working styles and working environments, such as the activity levels of office workers and the utilization status of spaces. We also plan to implement "Reserve Any," a new solution to solve the shortage of conference rooms, which is scheduled to be available from 2025, and will further develop data-driven office construction.
The president's office on the 13th floor has also been renovated.
"Commons" is an open office with no walls that employees can use freely when the president is absent.
The office is furnished with "common furniture" to create a free and creative space, accelerating communication from dialogue to discussion and leading to improved performance. The president's office will embody the openness of the organization.
Overview of ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE
| name | ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE |
|---|---|
| address | 2-5-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-6113 Nihombashi Takashimaya Mitsui Building, 11th to 13th floors *Our entrance is on the 11th floor. |
| Number of students enrolled | 1,157 (as of November 1, 2024) |
| Visiting hours | 10:00-17:00 (reservations required) |
| reservation | Make a reservation here https://www.itoki.jp/special/designhouse/ |
Related press releases
ITOKI to launch "Centra," a big table that naturally connects individual work and communication, in December 2024
https://www.itoki.jp/company/news/2024/1031_Centra.html
ITOKI to launch new solution "Reserve Any" to solve conference room shortage in 2025
https://www.itoki.jp/company/news/2024/1021_ra/
ITOKI launches "ADDCELL Hexa," a ADDCELL-use work point that enhances team unity
https://www.itoki.jp/company/news/2024/1009_ADDCELL Hexa/
A compact single-sided version of the box-shaped sofa "sound sound sofa," which allows you to hold web conferences without worrying about noise even in open spaces, is now available
https://www.itoki.jp/company/news/2024/0910_soundsofahalf/
"Data Trekking" is the first new service to continuously improve "work style and working environment" through data-driven innovation
https://www.itoki.jp/company/news/2024/2402_datatrekking/
ITOKI will release the movable partition "common furniture / Partition", jointly developed with Naruse & Inokuma Architectural Design Office, on November 1st.
https://www.itoki.jp/company/news/2023/2310_commonfurniture/
About Itoki's Workplace Business
ITOKI CORPORATION was founded in 1890. With the mission statement of "We Design Tomorrow. We Design WORK-Style." the company supports the creation of a variety of "spaces," "environments," and "places" by leveraging its strengths of "Tech x Design based on PEOPLE," including the manufacture and sale of office furniture, office space design, “Space," “Environment," and “Place" consulting, and office data analysis services, as well as furniture for working from home and studying at home, and equipment for public facilities and logistics facilities.
As hybrid work becomes more common and places and ways of working become more diverse, we are developing spatial digital transformation to enhance productivity and creativity, as well as consulting services to support optimal office operations. We are also proactively collaborating with external designers and partner companies to propose new work styles and workplaces for the future.
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