32 | Acquisition International, Global Excellence Awards 2023 Issue 1 2024, Acquisition International | 29 Unifying Nature and Science in Design n 2004, founder Yoshitaka Uchino established YDS, an international practice that strives for innovation in design. He founded the company after completing his Masters and Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tokyo. While travelling across Asia, Europe, and the United States, Yoshitaka created many original visions for architectural and urban designs. He and the YDS team have employed these designs to propose several buildings and cities. Yoshitaka has received numerous awards, and in 2016, the Singapore Institute of Architects nominated him for the SIA-GETZ Architecture Prize for Emergent Architects in Asia. YDS has several accolades including the European LEAF awards in 2018, the US Architecture Master Prize in 2020, and the UK’s Architecture Awards in 2022. YDS has designed and supervised the construction of many buildings and district plans including single-family homes, apartment complexes, educational facilities, stores and offices, and art galleries and museums. The practice caters to several renowned clients including MitsubishiJisho, Mitsui-Fudosan, and Tokyo Electric Power Company. By collaborating with these companies, YDS aims to execute its original visions on a larger scale. The team are visionaries driven by a shared desire to combine beauty and science to create unique spaces. YDS explores every avenue by drawing enormous designs and creating countless models for its projects. After the initial concept is determined by Yoshitaka Uchino, the team discusses the idea over sketches and models to evolve their designs. It is YDS’s philosophy to create original visions that set the practice apart from the rest. With its teams’ expertise, YDS designs and supervises beautiful architecture that complements its surroundings. For example, when the team designs residential buildings, they consider the meaning of ‘living together’ and try to connect their architecture with complementary public spaces. Founder Yoshitaka Uchino seeks to hire employees with a deep passion for architectural design. YDS has a flat organisational structure which encourages employees to work with autonomy on the main idea or concept. Employees have the freedom to flex their creativity, creating designs through emotional personalisation that shape the world around them. At YDS, the practice works transparently and has started creating websites to explain its values and design process to the general public. On its websites, Yoshitaka Uchino and Partner Mana Muraki provide comprehensive explanations that describe design concepts and how the company proceeds with designs and construction. It is Yoshitaka Uchino’s belief that designs should be built around the human experience. When architects design educational facilities, they consider how children play and how design can nurture children’s development. YDS is passionate about delivering education to children by using fun plastic models to explain concepts of mathematics and science in an easy-to-understand manner. The pandemic has dramatically impacted the architectural industry and Japan is currently experiencing rapid inflation. Construction unit prices continue to soar with a 20% rise compared to pre-Covid rates. In this evolving landscape, YDS has designed several projects that emphasise rational design. This strategy results in rationalisation and a shorter turnaround time which ensures that designs remain cost effective. Although construction costs have increased, YDS’s projects have reduced construction costs by more than 5% which has been well received by clients. It is the company’s objective to continue pursuing original ideas based on rational design in order to differentiate its designs from competitors. YDS is currently working on several projects including residentials, hotels, kindergartens, and factories. The team has many original visions and concepts in the works for future projects. Some of these unrealised projects can be found on YDS’s websites, ready to be implemented in the coming years. The practice is excited to enhance the future of architecture and cities with its clear-cut visions and innovative designs. YDS will continue to broaden the scope of its projects and design larger scale architectures that mirror our collective values and shape human lives. YDS Architects has received our award for this year’s Most Visionary International Architectural Innovation Firm – Japan. Contact: Yoshitaka Uchino Company: YDS Architects Web Address: www.ydsaa.net Based in Tokyo, YDS Architects is an award-winning creative design agency passionate about designing buildings, ideas, and concepts that incorporate the beauty of nature. Its team of specialists includes architects, designers, engineers, planners, scientists, urbanists, and many other disciplines. These visionaries create beautiful spaces inspired by nature where people can feel transitions in light and shadow. It is YDS’s mission to pursue innovative designs that unify architecture and nature by breaking down the barriers between them. YDS Architects and its stunning spaces have received a Global Excellence Award for this year’s Most Visionary International Architectural Innovation Firm – Japan. I Nov23117
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