Kume Sekkei's first-floor atrium boasts eight towering Benjamin trees.
First-time visitors often express surprise by saying, "It is amazing to see real trees here! How wonderful!" While the subject is seldom discussed among our employees, many fondly enjoy the atrium. This space with lush greenery has been used as a meeting place with clients since our company moved to Shiomi until now.
Across the atrium and the doors is the company cafeteria, where all employees at the headquarters, including executives, gather for meals during the lunch break. Since these doors are usually closed except during events, the idea of opening them to reveal different scenes emerged. A large table in the cafeteria was brought into the atrium and named "Giant Table" at the start of the experiment. What happens from here?
Opening the doors connected the space to the greenery on the terrace beyond the cafeteria, making the atrium a more pleasant place to stay. Since the Giant Table was installed, we have seen more and more people using it for individual work, spontaneous team meetings with papers spread out and sketch sessions, and colleagues carrying trays from the cafeteria, sharing meals, and laughing. One can see these scenes from the corridor and hear the laughter from the workspaces facing the atrium. We can now hear different sounds, which convey the vibrant atmosphere of the company in new ways.
This experiment encouraged many employees to use the atrium, successfully generating a new way to utilize the space for more than just welcoming clients.
What next steps shall we take to evolve further? We will continue to think about our workplace and implement solutions to our challenges.
