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here’s what we know so far
CategoriesArchitecture

here’s what we know so far

By Zarkon Group,

what we know so far about expo 2025 osaka 

 

Expo 2025 Osaka will soon come to life as an international fair that brings together people and innovations from around the world to address issues facing mankind on a global scale. Running from April 13th to October 13th, 2025, the program will be held on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka, Kansai, Japan — 55 years after Asida held its first world fair in 1970. Dubbed Designing Future Society for Our Lives, the 2025 theme responds to the unprecedented pace at which environmental changes are kicking in, coupled with the disruptive forces instigated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In light of this paradigm shift, the world’s fair invites exhibitors to reconsider our way of life through sustainable solutions powered by technological innovations. 

 

Revealed back in December 2020, the new Masterplan design for Expo 2025 Osaka will be developed Sou Fujimoto as a huge, ring-shaped structure that serves as the main circulation path. The Japanese architect shared details of his vision in a recent interview with designboom: ‘The roof not only protects people from sunlight and rain but is also enormous, with a diameter of almost 700 meters. We are designing it using a wooden structure, which presents unique challenges due to the scale and materials involved. However, Japan has a wonderful tradition of historical wood construction, and I aim to draw inspiration from it and blend it with new technology in the construction process. This work is not only a wonderful trial for working on such a large scale but also an exciting challenge in terms of innovative construction techniques.’

 

From Sou Fujimoto’s impressive Masterplan design to unveiling the first national pavilion proposals, here’s what we know so far about the upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka that is set to take shape in Japan.

first look at expo 2025 osaka, from fujimoto’s masterplan to the national pavilions
the new Masterplan for Expo 2025 Osaka | render © Sou Fujimoto Architects via Instagram

 

 

sou fujimoto’s masterplan to rise as a giant timber ring roof

 

For the Expo 2025 Osaka Masterplan, jointly with Tohata Architects & Engineers and Azusa Sekkei, Sou Fujimoto (see more here) proposes a 60,000 sqm green roof structure made of timber. Spanning about 700 meters in diameter, the design reflects traditional Japanese timber construction and will serve as the venue’s main circulation ring, provide scenic vistas from above while protecting visitors from rain and sun exposure. ‘On the rooftop, visitors can go up and experience a lifted surface that resembles a bank, allowing them to appreciate the sky above and feel completely immersed in the environment. As the location is in the middle of Osaka Bay, no tall structures are around, offering a clear view of the sky in a pure circle,’ Fujimoto told designboom. 

first look at expo 2025 osaka, from fujimoto’s masterplan to the national pavilions
60,000 sqm timber green roof structure | render © Sou Fujimoto Architects via Instagram

 

 

unveiling some of the first national pavilion proposals 

 

THE NETHERLANDS PAVILION 

 

Expo 2025 Osaka is expecting to host 150 nations, including The Netherlands, which has recently announced its participation under the theme of ‘Common Ground: creating a new dawn together.’ This vision explores new technologies that harness the power of water to produce emission-free energy, providing access to clean power for all. Responding to the theme, the Pavilion will take shape as a circular design with an illuminated sphere, or abstracted ‘rising sun’, that will shine brightly at the center to symbolize infinite clean energy, sustainability, and circularity. Water, as an abundant and clean energy source, plays a prominent role, elegantly reflected in the facade and roof. An important design element is its ability to be dismantled and reassembled as needed. The project is a collaboration between RAU Architects, engineering consultancy DGMR, experience design studio Tellart, and Japanese construction company Asanuma. (Read more here)

first look at expo 2025 osaka, from fujimoto’s masterplan to the national pavilions
The Netherlands Pavilion | render © Plomp

 

 

CZECH REPUBLIC PAVILION 

 

Joining The Netherlands is the Czech Republic, with a dynamic glass spiral structure designed by international studio Apropos Architects. Called ‘Sculpting Vitality’, the proposal arises as a transparent sculpture that is visible on the city’s coastal promenade. The architects sought to play with the concept of vitality and movement, presenting an exhibition ramp wrapped around a central auditorium. ‘The dynamic spiral movement upwards is an allegory of the ideal life path,’ describes the team. The resulting structure sees a distinctive silhouette that fosters visitors into physical activity through continuous motion. Its glazed body that pivots upwards around itself recalls the rich history of glassmaking in the Czech Republic and provides distinctive exhibition spaces with a changing interior atmosphere. The artificial light throughout the interior gives the structure a delicate glow that makes it shine from the outside. (Read more here)

first look at expo 2025 osaka, from fujimoto’s masterplan to the national pavilions
Czech Republic Pavilion | image © ZAN studio

 

 

ITALY PAVILION 

 

Up next is the winning design for the Italian Pavilion by Mario Cucinella Architects (MCA). The proposal titled ‘La Città Ideale’ reflects a modern interpretation of the Ideal City, a symbolic image of the Italian Renaissance. More specifically, MCA’s project spotlights the country’s vision of a social space based on integration, inclusivity, and a culture of hands-on engagement founded on real relationships and interactions — well-represented by concepts deeply rooted in the Italian tradition, like the ‘piazza’ (public square), ‘teatro’ (theater), and ‘giardino’ (garden). The Pavilion’s flexibility and adaptability will also allow it to host the Holy See: a spacious and recognizable area that facilitates the organization of cultural events and major art exhibitions. 

first look at expo 2025 osaka, from fujimoto’s masterplan to the national pavilions
Italy Pavilion | render © Mario Cucinella Architects, courtesy Expo 2025 Osaka.it 

 

 

JAPAN PAVILION 

 

‘What lies in the place between lives?‘ is the question that guided the design of the Japanese Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka. Architecture studio Nikken Sekkei joined forces with Oki Sato and Yoshiaki Irobe to conceptualize that query. The trio was effectively inspired by the tiny cyclical loops and interconnected dynamics that make up the natural world. In other words, when one life ends, another begins, and so on. The visual system at the Pavilion therefore materializes as a living organism that breathes, grows, and multiplies — ever-evolving and changing. ‘It represents the purpose of the Pavilion: to turn our eyes toward that which lies between lives, and impress guests with memories, not of a design, but of a process,’ comments the team. 

 



Reference

“Architects Are Bad at Business:” Here’s Why and What We Can Do About It
CategoriesArchitecture

“Architects Are Bad at Business:” Here’s Why and What We Can Do About It

By Zarkon Group,

Evelyn Lee is the Head of Workplace Strategy and Innovation at Slack Technologies, founder of Practice of Architecture, and co-host of the podcast, Practice Disrupted. She will serve as the 101st President of the AIA in 2025.

Every architecture and design firm is a business first. It’s easy to forget while celebrating our design awards and the stories of our contributions to the communities where we live, work and play. But to pursue the work that brings us so much joy, it is, first and foremost, essential to have a profitable and agile business that continues to adapt to the changing nature of the economy.

Architects aren’t necessarily known for being good at business or even enjoying having conversations on business operations. We would rather spend our time talking about the projects, the impact of the design, the materials that went into them, and the changes made within the project delivery process to make it so successful.

But the phrase, “Architects are bad at business,” has become a crutch, if not an excuse, to continue to be bad at business and avoid the conversation altogether.

So why are we this way?

OrfiSera by YERCE ARCHITECTURE

Architects are often more focused on the creative aspects of their work rather than business ones.

The problem with focusing only on creativity often means losing focus on things like project management. This means we spend so much time focused on only one aspect of the business, but businesses are systems, and every aspect of the system needs attention to be successful.

Architects are not trained in business practices.

Anyone who went through an accredited degree program could tell you that the one-hour seminar on professional practice taught students more about avoiding lawsuits while practicing than it did about running a business effectively. And even if it was the class was more broadly focused, there’s too much to learn in a single class to be effective.

What’s more, the ongoing education of individuals, once in practice, is often more focused on project work and does not extend beyond that.

Architects are often reluctant to change.

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, it is more important than ever for businesses to be agile. Agility is the ability to adapt quickly to change, and it is essential for businesses that want to stay ahead of the competition (especially the growing competition coming from outside the profession). However, architects, no matter how innovative we are with our projects, are otherwise stuck in our ways and resistant to change.

Good business operations require continuous improvement, and it not only takes a change mindset but a commitment of resources, both time and money, to examine what is and isn’t working.

OrfiSera by YERCE ARCHITECTURE

Architects are not good at selling their services.

How often have you heard an architect say, “The work speaks for itself.” Sure, there was a time when architects were discouraged from advertising their services (from the late 1800s to the early 1960s), but even with advertising being off the table, there are many different ways to sell services that most architects are not using.

Architects don’t like to ask for help.

While it’s easy for us to be good at what we are good at, it’s often harder for us to realize what we are not good at and, more importantly, to not stand in the way of letting other experts do their thing. I don’t know how often I’ve heard an architect say about a business operations consultant, “They just don’t understand what we do and how we do it.”

In many ways, we make ourselves out to be so unique that we get it in our heads that no one else can understand what it is we do and how we do it. We then put it on ourselves to do everything, and in essence, nothing more gets accomplished.

OrfiSera by YERCE ARCHITECTURE

So what can better business operations do for our architecture and design firms? There are many benefits, including:

  • Better communication and collaboration: Well-designed business operations can improve communication and collaboration within an architecture or design firm. This can lead to faster decision-making, better problem-solving and more efficient use of resources.
  • Streamlined processes: By streamlining processes, firms can reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to complete tasks. This can lead to increased efficiency and productivity.
  • Automated tasks: By automating tasks, firms can free up their staff to focus on more strategic and creative work. This can lead to increased efficiency and profitability.
  • Better use of technology: By using technology effectively, firms can improve their efficiency and productivity. This can include using project management software, cloud-based collaboration tools, and other technology solutions.
  • A focus on continuous improvement: By focusing on continuous improvement, firms can identify and implement changes that will make their business more efficient. This can lead to a sustainable competitive advantage.

In addition to the benefits above, better business operations can also help architecture and design firms to:

  • Attract and retain top talent
  • Increase customer satisfaction
  • Improve profitability
  • Expand into new markets

OrfiSera by YERCE ARCHITECTURE

Design thinking has taken hold in many different areas, and architects often share their desire to own the space. I think there’s an opportunity to raise our value there, but to showcase what we can do, we first have to start with what we can do within our firms.

Stay tuned for our upcoming articles offering specific guidance and steps to design and implement better business operations.

In the meantime, we encourage you to download Practice of Architect’s Agile Practice Resource. This free living resource is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to bring more agility to your practice.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.

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Architects: Here’s How to Supercharge Your Hybrid Workflow
CategoriesArchitecture

Architects: Here’s How to Supercharge Your Hybrid Workflow

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer Journal is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

As remote work continues to dominate the workplace landscape, tools and devices designed to improve the virtual experience are becoming increasingly important and popular amongst designers. Indeed, most firms in the United States are offering hybrid work models to their employees, a potentially revolutionary change that certainly transforms the design profession, where office culture and collaborative processes are integral to the success of many projects.

While working from home offers numerous benefits and perspectives, the office atmosphere is hard to replicate and often missed. Thankfully Owl Labs has developed a new and improved technology to facilitate collaborative work from a distance. The recently-launched Meeting Owl 3 multitasks as a 360° camera, microphone and speaker device that elevates the video conference experience, fosters connectivity and improves overall productivity.

Learn more and shop >

Meeting Owl 3 integrates with the most used conferencing platforms today, such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and GoToMeeting among others. Its compatibility is ideal for designers whose work is conducted over multiple conferencing platforms. Owl Labs has integrated their Owl Intelligence System into the device, which consists of AI-driven software that regularly upgrades to make collaboration as immersive, inclusive and reliable as possible.

The output resolution is 1080p HD, with a field view of 360°, ensuring clear and crisp video quality that helps team members feel connected while working apart; this level of detail can be vital when showing physical objects, including models and sketches, rather than doing a screenshare. Moreover, the device’s microphone comes with 8 omnidirectional beam-forming Smart Mics and an audio radius of 18 inches. The speaker quality and output quality help to ensure that both designers and project teammates can hear one another as clearly as possible.

The Meeting Owl 3 is designed to automatically focus on the voice actively speaking, which creates the best possible meeting experience without having to intervene and consistently check-in with those listening. Owl Lab’s easy-to-use connection system makes it ideal for those running multiple meetings back-to-back or those signing into last-minute calls. It can be simply plugged into the host computer via USB-C or can be connected to the Expansion Mic via micro-HDMI. Once connected, users can immediately start their video conference call.

Beyond home work, The Owl Lab is useful to architects working in the office who would like to collaborate with teammates or meet with far away clients virtually. Indeed, it is especially helpful for design firms that conduct international business with overseas clients. This device’s ability to mimic the office environment and in-person feel will aid in building client confidence and maintaining a good rapport between team members.

This ind of tool is also useful for larger conferences or for those working in big spaces. In such cases, Two Meeting Owl 3s can even be paired together to expand the video and audio coverage within a space. Meanwhile, the device is small and compact and blends seamlessly into any environment without creating an eye sore or distraction.

Since its release, the Meeting Owl 3 has been widely revered for its effortless set-up and ability to foster connectivity. One Amazon user explained how the “system was so simple to install, plug it in, initiate the system and you are off and running on your zoom meeting” and how it “made the meetings fun, functional and will allow our in person and remote teams greater ease and access to each other, a win for us in productivity and connectivity.”

Meeting Owl 3 is one of those devices that enables designers to maintain the best of both worlds: to continue working remotely without having to compromise on collaboration and communication. Equally, it allows studios to seamlessly present projects and make virtual connections with far-off clients around the world.

Learn more and shop >

For more laptops and workstation recommendations for architects, checkout 15 Top Laptops for Architects and Designers, and watch out for more in our Tech for Architects series, coming soon.

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