Architect: Daiki Kato

Nishimatsu Corporation Architectural Design Department

First of all, please tell us about your usual work.

I have been working as a first-class architect in the architectural design department of a so-called general contractor since 2014. I have designed a wide variety of buildings, including office buildings, commercial facilities, apartment buildings, and factories. From a digital point of view, I am also working on implementation design and presentation materials using BIM technology. As for architectural perspective, I make some simple ones myself, but I often outsource. Although I have yet to work on a project related to the metaverse in my daily work, examples of the use of technologies such as VR and AR have been increasing in the architectural industry in recent years. I may be involved in a project with a metaverse setting in the future.

Please tell us about your involvement with comony.

Mr. Kobayashi of LASTMILE WORKS asked us to design a space for him to exhibit his art works using comony. There was a project called WHITE CANVAS, which supports artists in Southeast Asia, and this space was designed specificly to exhibit the artworks selected for the project. I usually work as an architect designing buildings in real space, but this was the first project in which I designed architecture in the Metaverse.

Mr. Kobayashi shared with me that there was a demand to hold some kind of event in Metaverse, like an art exhibition, and that even if we tried to provide a suitable space for the event, it would inevitably end up looking uncomfortable because we are not experts in architecture. This is exactly the issue that I have been working on as an architect for a client in a real space, and I thought that I could make use of the experience in the design of Metaverse, so I participated in the project.

The art gallery we designed for this project was targeted at the event held Southeast Asia, so we set a concept and proceeded with the design, aiming to create a space that resembles "a ruin in an unexplored region of Southeast Asia." In addition, instead of the usual uniform and monotonous cube-shaped gallery, the space was structured based on a "spiral" shape in order to enhance circulation and spatial diversity.

It is composed of multiple layers, but by changing the shape of each layer slightly, a gap is created between each layer. When you walk through the gallery, the light from outside shines through the gaps, and you can catch a glimpse of the sky. In an actual real space, the risk of leaks is very high with this type of archtecture; thus, it is not suitable for an art gallery that is required to both exhibit artworks and provide protection. In a virtual space, there is no such risk and the design can be done freely.

The gallery is designed to allow visitors to follow a spiral flow line, which consists of two types of spirals: one with a cylindrical atrium in the center of the gallery, and the other with a gentle slope surrounding it. By varying the shape and inclination of the same spiral, we have created an exhibition space with a variety of spatial characteristics.

For this project, we imagined a gallery like a ruin in the middle of a jungle as a space to exhibit art works in Southeast Asia. It is interesting that in a virtual space, the surrounding environment can be designed in accordance with the concept of the architectural space. In the case of real space, designers are rarely involved from the selection of the site, and even if we could set up a site in the jungles of Southeast Asia, not many people would be able to go there to see artworks.

While anything can be freely designed in a virtual space, people seem to be more confortable when the space is connected to the real world to some extent. If the space is too outlandish and unrealistic, it is difficult to concentrate on viewing the artwork. In the case of this project, the spiral spatial structure has historically been used in many famous art museums, and we used materials such as wood, stone, and concrete, which are available in Southeast Asia, to create a sense of reality.

I also participated in the WHITE CANVAS art event using comony's virtual space, where I was able to experience artworks being displayed in an art gallery that I had designed. Although I thought I had designed a unique space as an art gallery, I realized that wasn't as interesting when the space exists only as a space, but it become an interesting spatial experience when it was accompanied by contents such as exhibited artworks.
This is similar to the relationship between architecture and content in the real world. I feel that only the most enthusiastic architectural enthusiasts are satisfied with viewing architecture as an object, and that architectural space is only complete when it is accompanied by content such as functionality and use. In a world where the metaverse has become more accessible, I feel that the demand for matching the unique contents planned by various businesses in virtual spaces with the distinctive buildings and spaces conceived by architectural designers will increase, and if comony can play this role, we may see more and more interesting virtual spaces being created. If comony can play such a role, interesting virtual spaces may be created rapidly.　For example, a space of a residential work by a master architect would be a better place to display furniture than a plain white, square box-like space. In this age of 'from product consumption to service consumption,' the way things are presented and experienced is very important.

In recent years, individuals have been able to set up stores on the web in the area of e-commerce. Virtual space is a good match for this trend. Purchasing experience itself will be completely different between browsing through website and walking around in a virtual space. If a system that allows individuals to easily buy and sell products in virtual space can be established, I believe that the demand for commercial architecture and exhibition space in virtual space will increase even more.

Another recent initiative is the use of comony's Metaverse space to propose office interior designs. Unlike architectural perspective, it is similar to the feeling of operating a game, so I can examine the design as I go around the space with the client. I use it on my PC, and even without VR goggles, it gives me the feeling of being immersed in the space, just like in a game. It is also possible to simulate the appearance of finishing materials such as floors and walls, so it is easy to compare multiple ideas. I would like to continue to explore the possibilities of architecture in the metaverse from my perspective as an architectural designer.

Are there any challenges you feel the construction industry faces that could be solved by using Metaverse?

In today's world, there are few opportunities for young to mid-career designers to design large scale museums, exhibition halls, and other public buildings. For such buildings, designers are often selected through competitions or proposals, but usually prominent architects or major design firms are selected. Especially in Japan, I have not heard of young architects being selected.

Considering this current situation, it is very appealing for young designers to be able to design a large scale museum, even in the metaverse space, and for it to be used for events and treated as a socially significant space. It would be even more interesting if, as a result, they become well-known in the real world and are asked to work in the real world.

Competitions and proposals require a great deal of time and effort to create a design proposal, but even if dozens of companies submit proposals, only one will be selected for implementation and awarded the job. It would be a shame for the industry to see a creative, high-density design proposal that took a great deal of time and money get lost in the shadows. If the creation of these unbuilt buildings on comony can lead to new evaluation and utilization methods, I believe that the possibilities of the metaverse in the architectural industry will expand even further.

Another issue that is often mentioned is the aging of the craftsmen who create buildings, and the number of skilled craftsmen is decreasing. As a result, we have been forced to rely on foreign workers, and this trend is expected to continue. In many cases, these workers cannot communicate smoothly or read drawings well, but such situation may imrpove if we can provide a training simulation system in the metaverse. I think that the metaverse has various possibilities not only in architectural design, but also in construction.

What would you like to achieve in the architectural metaverse?

We envision a future in which individuals and corporations who wish to organize exhibitions, sales, and other events on the Metaverse seek space design for such events, and architects and other professionals who work as designers of spaces in real space will respond to such needs.
As for designing architecture and space in the metaverse, I see it as an expansion of the current profession of architectural designers rather than a new profession. I believe that the proportion and value of real and virtual work will become equal, such as 50% of architectural design work in real space and 50% in virtual space.
It is possible that a client may ask you to design a building in the real world after seeing one you have designed in the Metaverse, and vice versa. In this way, I hope that there will be interaction between the real and virtual worlds.

Design firms do not standardize and commercialize architecture as house builders do, but rather design architecture on a one-product basis, each time they receive a request. This makes it difficult for the industry to increase profit efficiency, but I feel that our work at Metaverse will create a new business model.

If we can use blockchain technology to create a system that allows people to obtain certification for the space they have designed and to rent or sell the space, it would lead to a stable revenue stream. It is like operating real estate on a virtual space. I am very much looking forward to comony's future development, including the creation of such a mechanism.