PORTFOLIO AKANE IMAI
CV AKANE IMAI 01.10.1991, Tokyo Midoricho 2-11, 6-205, 3591111, Tokorozawa +81 9038189826 akaneimai1001@gmail.com https://aimai-architecture.tumblr.com/
EDUCATION 04. 2015 - 03. 2019
The University of Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan Master in Architecture
08. 2016 - 06. 2017
KTH The Royal Institute of Technology - Stockholm, Sweden Master in Architecture (Exchange)
04. 2011 - 03. 2015
Hokkaido University - Sapporo, Japan Bachelor in Architecture
WORK EXPERIENCES 02. 2017 - 06. 2018
Scott Rasumusson Källander - Stockholm, Sweden Intern for 1 year and 5 months Worked for various projects mainly in Sweden
- Revit - Archicad - AutoCAD
04. 2016 - 07. 2016
Nikken Sekkei - Tokyo, Japan 2D / 3D drawing, model building
- Adobe Suite - Rhinoceros, Vray - SketchUp
04. 2016
onishimaki+hyakudayuki architects - Tokyo, Japan Model building
05. 2015 - 06. 2015
Maki and Associates - Tokyo, Japan 2D drawing, model building
03. 2013
Takano Landscape Planning - Sapporo, Japan 2D drawing, model building
11. 2012 - 03. 2013
KITABA - Sapporo, Japan
Model building for various landscape projects
ACHIEVEMENTS
2
SKILLS
05. 2018
Finalist - Non Architecture Competition
08. 2016 - 06. 2017
Scholarship for studying in Sweden - Japan government
08. 2016
Scholarship for studying in Sweden - Saitama prefecture
05. 2015
3rd prize in Diploma projects contest - Architectural Institute of Japan, Hokkaido Branch
03. 2015
1st prize in Diploma project - The school of Architecture, Hokkaido University
03. 2015
The Outstanding Student Award - The Alumini association of the School of Architecture, Hokkaido University
- Physical model making - Laser cutting - Illustrations
LANGUAGE English
- Fluent
Swedish
- Intermediate
Japanese
- Native
INTERESTS Zine making Land Art Skiing Ilustration project @svenska_pictionary
INDEX Co-working space in a mountain
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Culture Center in Ă–stberga
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House in Omiya
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Renovation Typology in Wood
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Nature Observatory
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Residential block in Sollentuna
28
Alternative Designs for Clubs
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CO-WORKING SPACE IN A MOUNTAIN Spring 2019
Type:
Individual Project
Site:
Hanno, Japan
Brief:
A renovation of a traditional house built about100 years ago into a co-working space for young creatives who work remotely from the countryside
Detail:
It has become popular among creative workers moving away from the busy metropolis life in Japan. This trend gives a new opportunity to old houses in the countryside which have been empty due to the population drain and about to be demolished. The site is in an old forestry village in a mountain area which is situated one and a half hour away from the center of Tokyo. The initial design strategy was to create a workspace that is different from a typical office in the city. As a result, the structure of the existing house which is telling its history is kept, but some parts are modernized to create a comfortable work environment. Working close to nature and interacting with the other creatives in a unique space would give a person some new an inspiration that wouldn't come up within city life.
Current situation
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Scenario
5
0
5m
15m
Site plan
Inspirations from the surroundings
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To maintain the structural characteristic under earthquake, the extension part has the same structure system and material as the existing part.
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8
Facade from the south
9
Library
Phone rooms
Meeting Room
Hall
Group space
Copy area
Work space
Kitchen
Chill space
0
1m
3m
Plan
0
1m
3m
Section
10
Function Diagram
The corridor through the existing part to the new part is the spine of this house. There are four areas along the corridor and each space has different characters. Two mirror wall in the office area works to create a special atmosphere in the narrow plan. It introduces the indirect light from the garden and provides natural light inside the house as well as nature outside as reflection.
11
CULTURE CENTER IN ÖSTBERGA Fall 2016
Type:
Sustainable design studio at KTH, 2016
Site:
Östberga, Stockholm, Sweden
Brief:
A culture complex including music hall, sports hall, and library as a tool to integrate two different communities. - In collaboration with Maija Poukka
Detail:
This is “an architecture with diversity”, a platform where people would happen to meet through their interests and interact regardless of their social background. The site is located in between two communities where one has many residents who have a foreign background and the other that is a newly developed residential area. The building is a new center for leisure, sports, and culture for the neighbors which would create chemistry between those who have a totally different background. There is a bedrock slope that is not suitable for large-scale land development on site. We took that characteristic as an advantage and introduced the topography as vertical zoning. The sequence according to the level and functions creates a gradation from the lower to higher, from liveliness to calmness.
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Architecture as an ecosystem where it has diversity inside like a forest
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Street view
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Site plan
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Section 15
The main structure of this building is a large wooden grid. It is a 3D platform where each boxes of function popping around in the forest of the grid. Since each rooms are independent from the structure, it makes easier to modify and convert each spaces according to the needs.
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Scenario
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House in Omiya 2017 - 2018
Type:
Client work - Scott Rasumusson Källander
Site:
Omiya, Japan
Brief:
A private house in Japan
Team:
Christian Scott Rasmusson, Akane Imai
Detail:
During the internship, I participated in three villa projects from the concept phase, and this was the one I worked very much. This is a private house in a residential area. The concept was the Scandinavian lifestyle in a Japanese context. All the functions need to fit together in a small site which shape is a sharp triangle, and that was the main focus of the design study in the early stage. The facade on the street side is integrated with the wall and creating a small courtyard introducing nature and sunlight. The facade pattern was inspired by traditional fiskbensmĂśnster. I was in charge of 2D drawing (plans, sections, facades), volume study, the detailed model in 1/50 including interior, translation of the contract document and preparing a presentation to the client.
1/50 Model
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Street View
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Courtyard
Model for the detail study
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Ground floor plan
A - A' Section
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RENOVATION TYPOLOGY IN WOOD Fall 2018 / Winter 2019
Type:
Master thesis
Site:
Stockholm, Sweden
Brief:
A research on design strategy in renovation in Sweden. Graded as excellent in a diploma research projects
Detail:
Japan and Sweden have a long tradition of wooden architecture. However, both have a very different system of architectural preservation due to the difference in historical and environmental backgrounds, and it has reflected on the design strategy in renovation projects today. The purpose of this project was to introduce the renovation concept in Sweden to Japan to learn and improve Japanese renovation culture in the future. As a method, I analyzed 94 renovation projects built in wooden structure from 17th century till 1947 and figured out the pattern of design strategy through studying construction documents, literature and site visit including several interviews to the local managers.
Typology of design strategy in renovation projects
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Examples of the buildings for the case studies
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NATURE OBSERVATORY Fall 2016
Type:
Sustainable design studio at KTH, 2016
Site:
Ă–stberga, Stockholm, Sweden
Brief:
An observatory as a tool to activate the potential of the dismissed forest between residential blocks.
Detail:
The site is located in a residential area from the '60s. Due to a bad connection to the city center, this area had left alone from the benefit of urban development and it has even grown a bad reputation as a segregated district. The aim of this project was to activate the potential of the site by temporary architecture and find a new quality in this surrounding. After analyzing the site in different timelines, I noticed that this narrow forest has never modified since the area was planned. These wild bushes give a sense of the real forest in the middle of concrete buildings. However, neighbors only recognized this hidden gem as an ordinary green gap. I proposed a small observatory as a device to make the residents rediscover the beauty in their surroundings by stepping into the forest.
By cropping specific views in the forest and sky by windows, observatory works as an museum and amplifier of the beauty in nature.
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And the layered walls work to emphasize the depth of the space. Through climbing up the hammock floor, people would get a different perspective, from out of the ordinary life.
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Concept Axonometric
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0
1m
3m
Plan
Detail Section
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Residential block in Sollentuna 2018
Type:
2nd prize, competition - Scott Rasumusson Källander
Site:
Sollentuna, Stockholm, Sweden
Brief:
A new residential block in Sollentuna central
Team:
Christian Scott Rasmusson, Johan Källander, Erik Salander, Björn Ingridsson, Torun Tigerschöld, Akane Imai
Detail:
This was a competition to build a new residential quarter including 500 apartments, offices and stores in the central of Sollentuna. The pattern of the facade of the tower was inspired by runestones from an archaeological site nearby. The facade consists of different patterns, which are corresponding to the other volume's facade surrounding the courtyard. I was in charge of the illustration on the right page which was used as one of the main images for the presentation with the renderings, and also making illustrations of roof plan, facades, and section.
Street view
28
29
Alternative Designs for Clubs 2018
Type:
Finalist - Non architecture Competition
Site:
Conceptual
Brief:
A visual proposal of alternative design for nightclubs, where spontaneous physical motion remixes into an experience.
Detail:
This club is situated in an urban context such as underpass, where it tends to be dismissed during a day. At night however, a temporary outdoor disco appears like a phantom out of the abandoned void. There is no DJ, ordinary dancing room, bars, and even an entrance at this club. This space is a hyper – inclusive urban structure where people could spontaneously drop by and embrace music and lighting experience, which is composed / created by their own body motion. Motions are received as signals by sensors embedded in columns and floors which structure a 3D frame defined by invisible ray. Signals are converted into music tunes and lighting effects immediately. Some
characteristic movements of specific dancing styles are translated into a series of tunes and lighting effect. Therefore, people
can play between prediction and total randomness.
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