Doshisha obtained Occupational Certificate!

During the past week there have been several authority inspections and defect inspection from us happening at Doshisha.
We have successfully obtained Occupational Certificate from Kyoto Council on MAR 19 - this formally marks the completion milestone of the project.

What is now left are documentation of as-built building for record purpose, and finalising paperwork with Doshisha University.... a little bit of breather after the climax va-va-voom.

A glimpse of the past few days:

Fire department briefing in the morning before inspection

Rooftop equipment safety inspection

Lift inspection...

Weights used to test lift loading

Our Kyoto office....  All these mockups, of ceiling (right top), of wall tiles (back)...and perspectives on the wall...even original competition entry plan is on the wall.
I was asked the question at an interview: "How do you feel when the finished project looks different from your design?"
My answer was: "But it always looks just like how we designed! That is the reason we are involved, to build what we designed, what we promised; we don't design something that can not be built.  And that feels great to see it coming to life."

Long road

Seatondale has been through a lot ..

After a very long wrestle with Council (like, 4 years) albeit strong support from Council Heritage Advisor, we have finally received Development Application approval for the entire site of Seatondale.
We received the agreed and registered DA conditions on 2014 DEC 22, I was too overjoyed I didn't know how to respond.  It is only starting to feel real for me now.

Through this long and draining process we have developed a very strong bond with the client and his family, with a deep understanding of the design philosophy and unsurpassable persistence.  Without their support it would have been a very lonely road.

For some design background you can refer to the first post HERE.
In the mean time we have also worked on interior of the Seatondale heritage house HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE

The 2 new dwellings to the rear will NOT BE VISIBLE from within the heritage house (grey in model).  It is important for us to respect the view the Seatondale heritage house once enjoyed.
Extensive studies have been devoted to the overlooking, overshadowing, landscaping and visual connections in order to achieve a blurred balance of architecture and landscape, ensuring a harmonised coexistence of openness and privacy amongst the 3 dwellings.

Internalising Doshisha

Structure for the Doshisha Chapel Complex project has now largely finished.

Majority of the construction team has moved inside to work on the interior fitout - great timing as true winter weather kicks in!

I have been more than excited about seeing the photos, here they are for your viewing pleasure!

looking towards Chapel side from Student Lounge side.  This is view in the perspective we submitted to the original competition, so happy to see it coming to reality!!

 

windows are up!

installation of the ceiling feature has started

above the scaffolding..

custom made hollow blocks to the sides of the Chapel

 

 

 

 

 ...as if it extends indefinitely....

 

 the calculated randomness of the tiles.....

articulation of the different volumes are clear now...how exciting!

Another new start!

Before Meudon has completely finished, we have to make a start on another site last week.

It was a 4am start, in order to minimise any disturbance to neighbours.  

We were starting on building the mezzanine structure to the soon-to-be restaurant first.
Because almost all the intertenancy walls are not structural, the mezzanine is cantilevered on all sides from concrete columns with some help of couple of new steel columns.  As the result the steel members are rather oversized, very heavy to transport indeed.

By end of Day 1, we had most of the mezzanine bones up - hooray~~!

 quietly......

 shhhhhhhh.......

surveying the mezzanine height...

end of Day 1 - someone said it looks like a movie set; I guess it does!!

 one of the complicated steel junctions at top of the stair

Good day to start demolition!

Finally Sydney is warming up!

We have started on a residential renovation project overlooking the fabulous Rushcutter's Bay - how so glorious.  Can't wait to see the transformation!

beautiful Sydney

stripped wallpapers are somehow romantic...

 

sense of nostalgia...

Doshisha SUBMISSION!!!

There is "submission', and there is "SUBMISSION!!!" ..

Here is one of the latter (scary) ones, it happened on February 21st for Doshisha's Council submission.  It is equivalent to Development Application and Construction Certificate combined here in Sydney, but even having 2 submissions combined here I do not recall seeing mountain-fuls of documentation....
and every page needed to be hand stamped.......

What is even more impressive is the processing time.
These documents once submitted, will be processed within 10 working days - comparing to the 40 working days given to local Councils here (by State Government) it is far more efficient, and in a way encourages development.

Herewith extract from Yoshi's email straight after submission:

We have lodged DA&CC today.
That was a big package….
<photo> is showing one set of Architecture, Service & Structure. We need to submit 4 sets here… (One for us)
Original
Copy (this goes to client in the end)
Fire station (This is interesting)
our set
We need to stamp our registration number and (印鑑) every single pages… I don't want to do this again….

This is one single copy

 At the Council counter

head spin...

serious stuff here....

speaks volumn

stamping (twice!) on every single page of every copy

Remotely Doshisha

After my last trip to Osaka for Doshisha, Yoshi has been spending a lot of time in Japan to run the project, whilst us in Sydney provide the support in resources.
Brings back memory of M House, when we remote controlled the construction site...

We now also attend meetings remotely utilising Internet.. wonders of technology.

Doshisha is marching ahead.... We will soon lodge Services Planning Package to client and submission to Kyoto Government is underway.

Yoshi making a presentation at Doshisha University to user group

User group from Doshisha University comprises of teachers from all departments

..... We from Sydney were attending as well .....

Doshisha University - Jury Presentation at Kyoto

Simple Q&A on Doshisha University Chapel Complex Competition...extract from the competition official site:

What is the Doshisha University?

Doshisha University is an educational institution founded on Christian morals and values. The school, originally the Doshisha English Academy, was established in 1875 by Joseph Hardy Neesima (Nijima Jo). Our Kyotanabe campus, located in Kyoto, gathers departments related to science and engineering, and those whose aim is the integration of arts and science. The campus is positioned as a center for an integrated education, valuing “experiment, practice, and fieldwork”, as well as an international center for advanced research, focused on “body and life, advanced technologies, and information”.

What is the Doshisha University Chapel Complex Competition about?

Currently, we plan to construct a new chapel with an expansion of the existing facilities for the Center for Christian Culture, an organization that promotes the school’s Christian education. The school owns nationally significant cultural properties on Imadegawa campus dating back to the late 1800s. This chapel too, is expected to symbolize the Christian education provided at Kyotanabe campus and valued by students, alumni and staff members.

What is the reason for the Doshisha University Chapel Complex Competition?

Selecting a designer for these religious facilities on a proposal basis.

Who were in the Judging Committee?

Eiji Hatta (Doshisya University, President)
Takashi Matsuoka (Doshisya University, Vice President)
Makoto Mizutani (Doshisya School of Theology, Department Head)
Makoto Hara (Doshisya University Center for Christian Culture, Director)
Technical Advisors
Taro Ashihara (Taro Ashihara Architects)
Waro Kishi (University of Kyoto, Professor)
Toshihito Yokouchi (Kyoto University of Art and Design, Professor)
Professional coordinator:
Shozo Baba (Institute of Information Systems Architecture, Director)

When  was the submission deadline?

2012 November 30

How many submissions were made? and From where?

The application number total 379, submission from around the world were received.

Brief description of the Judging process?

There were 5 submissions selected in the shortlist.  The shortlisted submissions were presented to the Judging panel in Doshisha University's Kyoto Imadegawa Campus, on 2013 February 03.  Final results were announced the same day.  Facet Studio was announced the winner of the Competition.

.........So what happened at the Jury Presentation for Doshisha University's Chapel Complex Competition?

Facet Studio was the 4th to present on the day of Jury Presentation; this presentation order seemed to be decided by pulling numbers out of a hat...  We have sent in Yoshi as the spokes person on our behalf, sending him our love and support from Sydney...

 

Other shortlisted presenters seemed to have made modifications to the presentation materials, we have decided not to change our submitted panel and talked from there.  There was a 10-minute plain talking presentation focusing on the philosophy behind our scheme; although this presentation style was quite different from the other presenters, it was a bit of gamble.

 

After the 5th (last) presentation, there was a discussion period of 1.5 hours amongst the Judging Committee.
It was then announced "The selected winning scheme is... from facet Studio!"

 

Yoshi was completed overwhelmed... according to him, he could hardly comprehend what exactly has just happened.
He was then requested to go up to the stage.

 

 

He received the Certificate of winning, and catalog of the competition.

 

He was then asked to say a few words about the winning.... all his talking capacity went into the presentation, and found himself short of words..
Lastly was the photo with Judging Committee, and the shortlisted presenters.
Again, he could do with some practice on smiling as well...

(Front row from left: Doshisha University Center for Christian Culture Director, Head of Theology Department, Vice President, President, Yoshi, Architect Taro Ashihara, Waro Kishi, and Toshihito Yokouchi)

Doshisha University Official Announcement

Now the Doshisha University website is updated with the competition winning announcement and top 5 design schemes, check it out HERE!

Unfortunately only the Japanese site is updated, but it is obvious that the 5 images there are the schemes..
Despite the spelling mistake in my name (Yoshi's name was spelt wrong when finalists were announced... I guess this is only fair...), I am over the moon!

Here is our scheme.. the winning scheme.... woohoo~

click to enlarge

There were 856 registrations, and 379 submissions from around the world made for the competition.
5 schemes were selected as finalists, and were presented to jury panel on February 3rd at Doshisha University Imadegawa Campus, Kyoto.

Winner announced for Doshisha Chapel competition!

Facet Studio has won the Doshisha University's Chapel Complex Design Competition!

This was freshly announced yesterday (Feb 3rd) after the verbal presentation and Q&A session with jury panel at Kyoto, we even beat it to the official website to announce the result!

Looks like we are off to a brilliant start for 2013.
Together with quite a few projects across a wide spectrum of variety, we are surely going for a busy busy year - all for a good reason of course.

I will try to elaborate on the winning scheme soon!

Find out more on the Doshisha competition scheme HERE

Sneakerology on InDesign Live

Sneakerology and the news of its Frame Moooi Award shortlisting is announced on InDesign Live.

indesignlive.com

Amongst the 10 shortlisted projects, we are the only one from Australia..

Hello Philippe Starck!

The Frame Moooi Award has announced the 10 shortlisted projects, amongst 891 submissions over 79 countries - and Facet Studio is in the top 10!!

www.frameweb.com 

Here is a description of the award from the designboom website:

the FRAME moooi award 2012 is hosted by dutch furniture company moooi in collaboration with FRAME magazine. it's the year’s biggest inaugural interior design award and will be concluded in milan during april’s salone del mobile fair.
the award celebrates the 10 years of production and exhibition activities of renowned design brand moooi. designboom has been the exclusive online media partner and a whopping 891 submissions were received by designers in 79 countries. ... participants were responding to the brief which asked designers and architects to submit interior space design along with furniture and lighting objects that were CUSTOM-developed in a worldwide context.
the contest has been judged by french designer philippe starck, he selected the shortlist with an anonymous approach, in that he didn’t know the designers’ names or countries of origins. ‘I’m often invited to judge competitions,’ he says. ‘I’m happy to say that the level of this one is clearly higher than average, a very nice surprise.’ the designs and their creators will be featured in the may/june issue of FRAME magazine.

Facet Studio custom designed "Shoe Box" for the project Sneakerology.
The 'Shoe box" is made of plywood and resin, each has its own dedicated light source to individually illuminate the displayed item.
The plywood wall of the box houses all the electrical wiring and structural fixing, which enables the "Shoe boxes' to be stacked together and to be structurally strong enough to resist people pushing against the stacked "Shoe Box" wall when it is used as partition screen or shop facade.

Here are a few links if you are interest to find out more about the Frame Moooi Award:

www.framemoooi.com

www.designboom.com

And to find out more about Sneakerology:

Facet Studio official website

Facet Studio blog