Nabeya Bi-tech Kaisha by SfG landscape architects Inc.
This is a small communication plaza for the industry campus "Nabeya Bi-tech Kaisha" in Seki, Gifu, Japan. About 400 people work in this factory for design, manufacturing and sale of machine elements and components for motion control technology. This plaza is constructed as connection points from workplace to parking area with the staircases. Before the construction, in the campus there is few spaces to communication with workers outside buildings. Under the garden factory concept by former chairman, this plaza is designed as communication space surrounding with forest. The building next to the plaza has rest space and fitness club, so that the plaza can play a role of communication place for workers.
Composition of the plaza is so simple with a curved white concrete bench, wooden decks as a terrace and a table with white punching metal. The shape of bench is curved to receive and hold people to talk and communication there. Foot space of the bench is colored with vivid orange as an end point of main axis of the campus to invite people to come. Width of the bench in backside from main path is wider than in foreside to much relaxative. The table is placed above the bench lightly as fabric scarf with curved punching metal and dark colored structures.
In evening time, the plaza was dark because of lack of lighting and surrounding forest. Mainly lighting are equipped only for roads with only cold colored light in the campus. We try to set home space in the factory to communicate between workers with warm lighting. Warm orange colored lighting with the three dimension-curving bench invites you the space as special lighting color in the factory. Layer lighting with table lighting and a lighting with a pole generates depth of the space and impressive space with night activities.
