Our university, the University of Kitakyushu, and Kyushu Institute of Technology jointly held an "Architectural Interior Design Workshop" with interior designer Emi Yoshida as the lecturer, and 15 students from the Residential Environment Design Studio (Professor Harumi Kagawa) of the Department of Housing Department of Housing and Interior Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering, took on the challenge of designing a retreat *1 cafe in New York and New Jersey, USA.
Yoshida founded the interior design firm "YZDA" in New York, USA, and works on interior architectural and product designs for a wide range of clients around the world, and also works as an art consultant.
This workshop, now in its second year, aims to cultivate problem-solving and expressive abilities by challenging students to come up with creative design proposals with an international perspective and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as to help them imagine themselves working around the world. This time, the assignment was to "design a store to be added to a colonial-style house." The students were free to renovate a house with an attached store, which Yoshida had actually designed, into a "space for healing the mind and body" for local residents and tourists. After four weeks of online sketches *2, the students came up with the design, layout, and cafe menu, while respecting the historical style of the base building and being mindful of universal design and environmental considerations.
On Sunday, November 2nd, six teams from three schools gathered at our university's Open Innovation Center to give presentations to a panel of five judges, including Yoshida, as well as students and faculty from other universities. Three teams from our university took to the stage. Team "Colony" proposed a healthy menu that emphasizes local production and consumption, set in a space with a beige-brown theme that is relaxing for both body and mind. Next, Team "SOGO" proposed an open cafe space that combined the kitchen and dining room, with the theme of a relaxing cafe space using flowers. Team "Retreat Haru Kitchen" devised a "kakurega cafe," a cafe beloved by local residents where people can take a break from their daily lives and detox digitally in a quiet moment.
As a result of the judging, team "Retreat Haru Kitchen" won Yoshida's YZDA Award. Yoshida, who worked on the design on the same schedule as the students, commented, "I think it was difficult for every team to complete this project in just five weeks. Seeing the process that the participants had gone through was heartwarming. Everyone's passion for their work was truly amazing, and it was the best gift I could have received."
Ko Ishibashi (Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Joto High School), a member of the "Retreat Haru Kitchen" team, said with a smile, "We met every week to brainstorm ideas to make something better than last year. We were surprised and very happy to receive the YZDA Award. The assignment was difficult, but I'm really glad that we all had fun working hard as a team."
*1 Retreat: A space away from everyday life for rest and recovery of the mind and body.
*2 Sketch: The act of thinking about design and planning, done by yourself or with a teacher or team members.
■About interior designer Emi Yoshida
・Nishi Nippon Television The Beat of Beauty"
・Past activities
Lectures at our university
Architectural Interior Design Workshop (1st)
Publicizing this workshop
[Department of Housing and Interior]
