Embraced in Recycled Steel ᱚᱯᱷᱤᱥ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ

Press Kit

Unique Properties

This office interior transforms Kyoei Steel’s recycled steel—angle steel, rebars, and flat bars—into a refined architectural expression. Typically hidden elements become aesthetic highlights, emphasizing material strength and texture. Barcode and QR code motifs extend across the space, visually linking to Kyoei Steel’s corporate identity. Lighting enhances these patterns, creating a dynamic interplay between recycled steel, technology, and light.

Dimensions & Packaging

Site Area: 108,045.44 Square meters
Building Area: 1,091.12 Square meters
Total Floor Area: 3,931.89 Square meters
Structure: RC
Number of Floors: 4 above ground
Maximum Height: 19.9 m
Eaves Height: 16.5 m
Floor Height: 3.9 m
Ceiling Height: 2.9 m

Tags

architecture, office, lighting design, recycled steel, sustainable design

Production Technology

The office interior features angle steel, rebars, and flat bars as exposed materials, emphasizing their structural and aesthetic qualities. Barcode motifs, derived from Kyoei Steel’s website, are embedded in wall finishes and stair railings, linking physical space to digital branding. The ceiling’s steel louvers incorporate billet-shaped seamless LED lighting, reinforcing a cohesive design language that blends recycled materials with innovative illumination.

Design Challenge

The primary challenge was redefining recycled steel’s role in architecture beyond its conventional industrial use. Integrating angle steel, rebars, and flat bars as visible elements required precise detailing and innovative finishing techniques. Additionally, balancing material authenticity with a refined aesthetic posed a design challenge. Regulatory constraints, production limitations, and ensuring harmony between raw steel textures and digital motifs, such as barcode patterns, demanded extensive prototyping and iterative design development.

Research

Type of Research: Applied Design Research
Objective: To explore the aesthetic and functional integration of recycled steel in office interiors.
Methodology: Material experimentation, spatial simulations, and lighting analysis.
Data Collection: Prototype testing and digital modeling.
Participants: Architects, engineers, and Kyoei Steel stakeholders.
Results & Insights: The research highlighted the potential of exposed steel as a design element, demonstrating its structural beauty and reinforcing corporate identity. The study advanced sustainable interior design, influencing material reuse practices in industrial architecture.

Inspiration

The design embodies the lifecycle of steel recycling while visually integrating Kyoei Steel’s digital identity. Barcode and QR code patterns, inspired by the company’s website, appear throughout the space, symbolizing the transformation of raw materials into structured design. By exposing and celebrating recycled steel, the project creates a unique spatial narrative, merging industrial heritage with a contemporary digital aesthetic.

Project Duration

The project commenced in early 2022 in Yamaguchi, Japan, with design and planning phases focused on integrating Kyoei Steel’s identity into the architecture. Construction began in mid-2023, aiming to unify office functions while enhancing operational efficiency and employee engagement. The office was completed in early 2024, creating a sustainable workspace that embodies the company’s commitment to steel recycling and innovation.

Operation Flow

The office interior integrates barcode and QR code motifs, linking the space to Kyoei Steel’s corporate identity. These patterns, expressed in wall treatments and stairwell designs, create an interactive experience, guiding movement through the space. The ceiling’s steel louvers diffuse light while reinforcing the visual continuity of barcode-inspired elements. This design transforms an industrial material narrative into a contemporary, high-tech environment.

Patents

N/A

Image Credits

Image #1,#2 : Photographer Nobuaki Miyashita Variations, 2024
Image #3,#4,#5 : Photographer Sato Kenta, Variations, 2024.