a+u Architecture and Urbanism February 2025 Special Issue Encyclopedia of NIKKEN Sharing NIKKEN's World of Ideas in Response to Societal Needs
Content
The February 2025 Special Issue of a+u is titled Encyclopedia of NIKKEN. Spanning 304 pages and featuring around 380 projects, this book introduces Nikken Sekkei’s ideas in an encyclopedic format. With over 3,000 members including its affiliated groups, Nikken Sekkei launched this project by exploring its design strategies. Rather than consolidating all ideas into a single, overarching strategy and discarding the rest, the focus here is on gathering unique ideas and unformed architectural concepts from each individual. These ideas were collected and categorized as NIKKEN DESIGN GOALS (NDG). The approximately 380 projects showcased in this collection reflect Nikken Sekkei’s commitment to addressing societal challenges through architecture, while also revealing the firm’s current limitations. By presenting these realities openly, this collection also aims to encourage future collaboration with external partners. It represents Nikken Sekkei’s approach to broad design, where all members—not only those in architectural design—engage in creative practice. (a+u)
Dialogue Encyclopedia of NIKKEN
Sharing NIKKEN’s World of Ideas in Response to Societal Needs
Tomohiko Yamanashi and Hiroaki Otani Chief Design Officers of Nikken Sekkei
Goal 01│Global Environment
Zero Energy Building (ZEB) Wood Greenery Water
Air Wind Light Longevity
FACT 01-1│Understanding Our Carbon Emissions FACT 01-2│Creating Greenery
Goal 02│Wellness & Resilience
Enriching External Spaces Comfortable Interior Spaces Designing Quietness
Architecture Respecting Diversity Imaginative Interior Spaces Publicly Beneficial Resilience
FACT 02│Designs for Well-Being & Resilience
Goal 03│next TOD
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Shibuya Mobility and Cities
FACT 03│TOD Implementation in Shibuya
Goal 04│Flexibile Design
Flexible Masterplan Open Ground-Level Spaces
Pursuit of Universal Spaces Flexible Systems Design
FACT 04│The Rise of the Super-Large
Goal 05│Digital Transformation
Digital Form Design Digital Façade Design Digital Environmental Design
FACT 05│The Digital Surge in Architectural and Urban Design
Goal 06│Conversion & Re-use
Preserving the Original Updating the Parts Adding New Elements
Reuse Avoiding Overbuilding Constructing in Ancient Cities
Dialogue with Nature Creating Urban Landscapes
FACT 06│Reusing Over Rebuilding
Goal 07│Regulation Design
Contributing to the City Creating Plazas Shapes Guided by Regulations
FACT 07│The Evolving Scope of Our Business
Goal 08│Organization Design
Spaces for Innovation Client Collaboration +NIKKEN
FACT 08│Managerial Employee Count & Gender Ratio
Goal 09│Global Design
Iconic / Forms Japan Style
FACT 09│Nikken Sekkei from a Global Standpoint
Goal 10│Risk Management
Achieving High Quality in Overseas Projects
FACT 10│Global Expansion Since 2000
Goal 11│All NIKKEN Design
Engineering Supporting Global Innovation Data Centers
Realizing Spaces with Structural Technology
Goal 12│Value Up Design
Creating Value through New Forms Leveraging Low Costs Branding
FACT 12│Tech Development as a Holistic Design Practice
Goal 13│Sophisticated Design
Designing from the Details Pursuing Meticulous Beauty Designing through Structure
Pursuing Reinforced Concrete Focusing on Façade Design Focusing on Masonry Design
FACT 13│Accolades from Within the Field
Goal 14│Design for Unpredictability
FACT 14│Designing in Hazard Areas
Goal 15│Aspirational Design
Index